Cambion
by Quatermass
Summary: (Inspired by, but not an answer to, whitetigerwolf's 'Hogwarts Pieces' challenge! WBWL! Bashing! Harem!) Disowned by James Potter for being illegitimate, Harry was raised by the Tonks family, but he often wondered who his true father was. Hermione's got the answer, and it may lead him into a marriage with Rias Gremory, and a fight with his true father, Riser Phenex...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

My first toe dipped into _High School DxD_ fanfic was, admittedly, a bit of a poor one. I look back at _Fall to Zenith_ , and find myself cringing a little. Not that it's bad, but it was written before I had much of a handle on the franchise. In a way, this story can be considered a spiritual successor to _Fall to Zenith_ , using, as it does, similar tropes. Hell, even the title, _Cambion_ , was actually my original title for the story that eventually became _Fall to Zenith_.

It was one of the challenges ('Hogwarts Pieces', for those interested) of whitetigerwolf that inspired me to try another story, but my first attempt, _Hermione Bael_ , got some negative feedback when the first chapters were posted in _The Cauldron_ , and while I tried to persevere, I realised that I didn't know how to continue the story after a certain point. A few elements from _Hermione Bael_ and my second attempt at writing it have been salvaged for _Cambion_.

I also decided to make this another WBWL fic, and, like two of my other WBWL fics, make it set during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. But, for once, Harry isn't going to get dragged into the TWT, with it being more background to the main story of _Cambion_. However, there will be some surprises, and this is set a year before _High School DxD_ canon (and the Potterverse characters have been aged up a year, with the setting being 2005).

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both _High School DxD_ , and the Potterverse.

Secondly, there will be annotations, heavy annotations, and bellyachers will be treated with all due contempt.

Thirdly, for language, violence, and sexual references (the latter is a given, as this IS _High School DxD_ after all), this is an M-rated work.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _High School DxD_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Sairaorg Bael will use you as his new punching bag…


	2. Chapter 1: Secrets Revealed

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **SECRETS REVEALED**

It's odd how fate works out at times. Some events can change things for better, or for worse. How that happens can be a matter of perspective.

Certainly, the death of Vali Lucifer, the half-human scion of the Lucifer line of Devils, as a young child was a tragedy, and the world was poorer for his absence, even if he would grow into a battle-hungry young man in other timelines, the destined wielder of the weapon known as the Divine Dividing, and the Heavenly Dragon sealed within it, Albion. In going too far with their abuse, his father and grandfather had robbed themselves of an opportunity to wield power by proxy, though they never would have succeeded, anyway. Vali died unmourned in a world that should have mourned his passing.

But the death of the boy who would become the latest White Dragon Emperor upset the order, for Albion's rival, Ddraig, the Heavenly Dragon sealed within the Boosted Gear, had yet to be given to a new master, one who would become the next Red Dragon Emperor. These two had a rivalry that spanned centuries, and the Dragon Emperors with opposing powers were destined to clash. Vali's demise also had an impact on the burgeoning organisation known as the Khaos Brigade.

Shortly after Vali's untimely death, Ddraig and Albion were soon given their new chance. But fate, it seemed, had a perverse sense of humour, as it often does. Ddraig was destined to become the Sacred Gear of Issei Hyoudou, an otherwise unremarkable Japanese boy who would grow up to become a pervert of prodigious proportions…well, prodigious in his perversion, anyway. But Vali's death upset things, and it was Albion who would become sealed within Issei.

As for the Boosted Gear, and with it, Ddraig? Well, as noted before, fate has a somewhat perverse sense of humour. Ddraig found himself sealed within a child who, frankly, needed his power, only for said power to be inaccessible for about fifteen of the first sixteen years of his life.

A power that was about to be unleashed thanks to a friend with a secret of her own…

* * *

Harry Tonks didn't know where exactly Hermione Granger was taking him, the first weekend after Hogwarts started again. She was in the year below him, his brother's year (even if Charlie and James Potter would deny that to their dying breath), but the two were friends, of a sort. Outcasts both, Harry having been thrown out of the Potter family for being a bastard child (no father was known, and James Potter didn't care, only that Lily had been unfaithful to him), and Hermione for being a Muggleborn prodigy who had the misfortune to demand the Sorting Hat put her into Gryffindor rather than Ravenclaw, where she belonged.

And now, she paid the price, alienated from most of her peers in her age group. Harry technically was only a couple of months older than her. He was in his fifth year (and thus needed to study for his OWLs), though, and Hermione was in her fourth (turning sixteen in a couple of weeks), along with Charlie and the youngest Weasley boy. Then again, Ron had grown sick of Charlie after last year. The only friends Charlie had, despite his delusions, were Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley. Unfortunately, his father and godfather wielded a lot of influence in political circles, so Charlie had his own little court, like Draco Malfoy, hoping to gain his favour.

In any case, Hermione was something of an outcast, and she and Harry were pretty strong friends, despite them being in different years at Hogwarts. She was a good studying partner, as she frequently read ahead, and he would probably need her help with his OWLs, not because he couldn't by himself, but because she was good at reminding him to study, and had a knack for discerning what would be covered by tests.

They eventually halted on the seventh floor, and Hermione began pacing back and forth near a painting showing dancing Trolls. To Harry's astonishment, a door appeared. "What the hell?" he yelped.

"The Room of Requirement," Hermione said. "I discovered it last year by accident while trying to find a place to rest because of that Time Turner nonsense. The House Elves call it the 'Come and Go Room'."

"Huh. Does anyone else know about this?"

"Only Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore, to my knowledge, and a few of my friends," Hermione said. "Dumbledore stumbled across it once filled with chamberpots. But it basically sets things up for your requirements, whatever they may be. And I wanted a place to talk with you in private, Harry. I've been keeping secrets from you, and it's past time I revealed them."

With that, Hermione opened the door to the room, and went inside. Harry followed, to find that it was like the Gryffindor common room, with fireplace, lounges, and a table currently laden with tea and tea paraphernalia. "What's all this for? Are we having a tea party or something?"

"Later." Hermione sat down in one chair, and gestured for Harry to sit down in another. He did so, and Hermione seemed to take some time to gather herself. Eventually, she said, "I'm not sure where to begin. Please know, Harry, despite my keeping secrets from you, you are my friend. In fact, it was because of that that I kept those secrets, because I wasn't sure what you'd think of me. And it's not just secrets about myself…but secrets about you. Things that I've suspected, and which I've almost confirmed."

"What do you mean, secrets about me?" Harry said. Then, he realised what she meant. "You mean…you know who my father is? The guy who slept with my mother?" The very mother who was in a coma in St Mungo's…his mother, whom he intended to find a way to wake up.

Hermione nodded. "Yes. In fact, if I'm correct…there is a way she can leave St Mungo's. Almost nothing can bring her out of the coma she's in thanks to whatever she did to stop Voldemort and save you and Charlie. But…there is something that can. I've actually considered doing it myself, but I knew that, when I did, you may never speak to me again, and Charlie and his father would definitely take umbrage."

"Hermione…I trust you most out of everyone here, now that Dora's graduated," Harry said, thinking back to his clumsy stepsister. Nymphadora Tonks, who hated her first name, but was the best big sister to him after James Potter cast him out of the family, and the Tonks family took him in. Of course, Hermione wasn't the only person he trusted here. The Weasley Twins, for example, Luna Lovegood, Daphne Greengrass, Cedric Diggory…

"Okay. The truth is, Harry…I'm wearing a glamour. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, along with Madam Pomfrey, are the only people who know in this school. My real name is not Hermione Granger. My real name is Hermione Bael." Then, she pressed a hand to her chest. Something seemed to release, and suddenly, Hermione had _changed_. Her now buxom body was something many a woman would envy having, even if she was about his age. Brown eyes flecked with amber looked at him with concern and amusement, and her hair was beautiful brown waves…framing a very familiar face.

It wasn't quite the same face. It was too beautiful to be the same face, not exactly. And yet, it was so familiar, and Harry was almost certain that it was the same person. It was Hermione, as if refined and made more beautiful in subtle ways that nonetheless added up.

Of course, most startling of all were the pair of cat ears, twitching on her head.

Hermione smirked a little at his shock, but said, gently, "Are you aware of any of the magical beings of Japan, Harry? The ones known as youkai?" Harry shook his head. "Well, I am part-youkai, specifically a type of youkai known in Japanese as a nekomata, or a catgirl." She gestured towards her body. "I made my body look less desirable rather deliberately. It was part of going undercover at Hogwarts. In truth, I know probably more about magic than even adult wizards and witches, though there are some that I don't know about. That's one of the reasons I accepted the Time Turner back in Third Year."

"I remember hearing from Ron that you turned part-cat back in your second year, but you said…"

"I know what I said. Millicent Bulstrode does have a cat, but nekomata have a bad reaction to Polyjuice Potion. That's what really happened, _nya_." She blinked, before grimacing. She gestured, and her ears disappeared, though the rest of her remained the same. "I thought I'd managed to get rid of that. Anyway…that's not the half of it. You see, nekomata are not very well liked by many corners of the supernatural world. We're feared and coveted for our powers, especially those of the stronger offshoots of our people, the nekoshou, of which I am one of them. There was a pogrom not long ago. My family barely avoided the worst of the backlash. Anyway, nekoshou, even half-bloods like me, have an innate ability to sense energy, particularly lifeforce, and use it to distinguish people by their species. What's more, we can tell if certain powers lie dormant."

"Okay, okay, I get it, but what does this have to do about my father?"

"I'm getting to that, Harry. I'm trying to cushion the blow. The thing is, Harry…I'm not half-human, half-nekomata. My other half is not human."

"Half what?" Harry asked. "Stop beating around the bush, Hermione!"

Eventually, she whispered, in a quiet tone, "…Half-Devil."

As he stared at her, she hurriedly held up her hands. "Please, understand, Harry. Not all Devils are like those in the Bible, evil and stuff. Most of us are like humans, mentally, just more prone to hedonism and sin. Most of the ones who were evil died during a civil war centuries ago. We generally don't even accept deals for souls anymore. There's still Devils as bad as those in the Bible…but my parents, and many of my relatives, are good people. Even the current Lucifer is a very nice guy."

Harry slumped in his chair. "You're part-Devil?"

"Yes. The technical term is Cambion, which basically means any part-Devil. My father, Dante Bael, is a Devil. My mother, Emmaline, is a nekomata, turned Devil. I'm telling you this because… I didn't want there to be any more secrets between us. And before you ask, yes, the God of the Bible is real. Angels are real. Centuries ago, there was a devastating series of wars between the forces of Heaven and the Underworld. Even now, the three factions who took part are in a tenuous stalemate, more of a ceasefire than an actual peace. Of course, there are other factions involved: other deities exist, like those of Norse or Greco-Roman or Hindu mythology. Or Shinto. In fact, Japan is of considerable interest to all factions for various reasons. Plus, my cousin Rias is a total Japanophile. Anyway, the wars between Angels, Fallen or not, and the Devils, left our peoples depleted, and that civil war within the Underworld depleted it further. You see, many of the old guard of the Devils, including the original Lucifer, Leviathan, Beezlebub and Asmodeus families, wanted to continue the war, even if it meant the end of our kind. But other families wanted to just live in peace and avoid the extinction of our people. My cousin Sirzechs, Rias' older brother, was one of those who led the 'New Satan' faction, and they won."

"A civil war? Like that Voldemort caused?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. The Old Satan faction were very much like the Purebloods under Voldemort," Hermione said. "Though even now, there's still similar attitudes amongst the Devils. My being a Cambion isn't viewed that well by many, and it's really only Sirzech's influence that protects my family. He's the current Lucifer."

Harry nodded, if only because he needed something to do. His best friend was part-Devil? He knew she wasn't malevolent, he thought he knew her better than that, but still…was he wrong? Eventually, he asked, if only to take his mind off the influx of information, "So why tell me? I mean, other than I'm your friend, and you wanted no more secrets."

Hermione pursed her lips. Again, she seemed to be psyching herself up for something. "It's to do with your father, Harry. Your real father. You see, as I said, I'm sensitive to life energy…and I can sense another Cambion. You, in fact."

"Me?" Harry hissed in astonishment. "But…I would have known if I was a Devil."

"Really? Did you ever feel inexplicable headaches whenever someone would pray to God or quote the Bible near you?"

Harry nearly scoffed, until he remembered a few times when that actually did happen. Not much: Andromeda and Ted weren't exactly religious, and neither was Nymphadora. But he remembered some of the prayers an old friend who used to live near the Tonks said, and the headaches he had. Irina had left for Italy a few years back, actually.

Oddly enough, though, as much as he would like to deny that he was a Devil, it made a strange sense. "But wouldn't I have known this sooner?"

"Maybe your mother sealed your powers to protect you. But I can sense two very important things about you, and one of them was the reason why I was a bit skittish. The first is that, due to being half-human, you are a bearer of a Sacred Gear. Sacred Gears are artifacts created by God, and granted to humans or part-humans. Many became figures of note in history. Others worked quietly behind the scenes. Some allow for extra strength. Others can heal or defend. The strongest Sacred Gears are known as Longinuses, after the lance used by the Roman soldier of the same name to pierce the body of Jesus."

"I've never heard of them before," Harry remarked.

"It's hardly surprising," Hermione said. "You'd have heard of some of the people who've used them, but unless you're involved with one of the factions, it's unlikely you would have heard of them, even if you're a wizard. I've known you've had a Sacred Gear of some sort, and of a powerful, draconic type, since my first year here. I don't think it's sealed, it just hasn't been awoken. Of course, while important, it wasn't the reason I didn't approach you before. You see, I'm almost certain you belong to a certain Devil family. While only one of them is particularly bad, they're very conservative and traditional." She plucked out of her robes some parchment, a special quill and an enchanted bowl, into which she dropped liquid from a vial. She then got a small stiletto out. "To confirm it, I need your blood. This is basically what the Goblins use for inheritance tests."

Harry, after a moment, allowed her to jab his thumb with the stiletto, and allowed a little blood to drip into the bowl at her direction. The quill then began to write automatically once the blood had mixed in. And then, Hermione looked at the parchment, and nodded grimly. "Thankfully, you're nothing like your biological father."

"And who is he?" Harry demanded, snatching the parchment from her hands, and looking at the name in the pedigree the quill had scribbled down.

As he read, Hermione said, "Your father is Riser Phenex."

Harry stared at the name. Eventually, he asked, "So, given what you said, he's not a nice guy?"

"He's not evil per se, he's more like Draco Malfoy if he curbed his more violent tendencies towards Muggles," Hermione said, before grimacing. "And got a libido transplant. He's not that old, either. He looks to be in his twenties, but he's in his late thirties. Anyway, the rest of the family is okay, I guess, but they're very conservative by Devil standards. I've met them a couple of times. Ravel's nice when she's not being snooty, a bit like Daphne. She's actually younger than you, despite being your aunt. Then again, Devils are long-lived with low fertility."

"Okay…so, why tell me this?" Harry asked. "What does this mean?"

"Well, the Phenex family are noted for their mastery over fire magic, as well as being able to regenerate from most wounds, even ones that would be fatal to other Devils. But…there's another reason." Hermione became solemn. "You see, my cousin Rias…she's stuck in a marriage contract to Riser, and he's making no secret of the fact that he only wants her to be a trophy wife and a sex toy, and neither her father nor Riser's seem to care. But…the marriage contract states that she is to be married to the youngest Phenex male." She met Harry's gaze. "I'm hoping that you'll be able to free Rias from her marriage to Riser…by marrying her yourself…"

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry is the bastard child of Riser Phenex, and Hermione is part-Devil, part-nekomata. The latter was something I considered doing. I'd tired of trying to make Hermione part-Fallen after the abortive attempts at** ** _Hermione Bael_** **, and decided on something new. I thought it rather appropriate, given how Hermione seems attuned to cats, and she ends up briefly becoming a catgirl.**

 **Now, shipping Harry with Rias and making him secretly half-Devil is sure to remind some people of** ** _Fall to Zenith_** **. I'd like to think that this story will be better. Plus, it has a harem instead of the strict Harry/Rias pairing.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	3. Chapter 2: Rias and Peerage

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **RIAS AND PEERAGE**

Harry stared at Hermione, unable to believe what he just heard. He hadn't even considered such a thing as marriage yet, not because he was a prude or didn't swing that way, but rather, because he was concentrating on school. The nearest thing he had to a girlfriend was Hermione, and he wasn't sure whether she felt the same way.

She seemed to read his thoughts, because she smiled, taking the parchment back as she did so. "If you're worried about her coming between us, Harry, Devils are more open to polyamory and polygamy than humans. Rias and I have discussed this, because…I know you feel something for me. I was afraid to try to get closer, though, because…I thought you might be secretly as bad as Riser, or at least that's what I thought, at first. But by the time I realised otherwise, I felt I couldn't tell you without it blowing up in my face."

"…Really?"

She nodded. "Rias has agreed to come here to meet you. If that's okay with you. While under normal circumstances, one can't Apparate within Hogwarts' grounds, what they use is not Apparition. Harry…is it okay? I'm not expecting you to say yes and marry her. I just want you two to meet."

"…Okay. But…is she nice?"

Hermione's smile widened. "She may act a little aristocratic, but she's very nice and friendly. She'll also be bringing her Peerage."

"Her what?"

"Peerage. Remember what I said about those wars decimating us? Well, to replenish our numbers, we instituted a system by which we can convert other beings, usually humans, into Devils, based on chess. My mother is not just the wife of my father, but also his Queen. We use enchanted chess pieces to convert other beings into Devils, to act as our servants, though in truth, how we treat them varies from Devil to Devil. Rias and I, along with another of our friends, Sona Sitri, treat our Peerages as extended family rather than servants. But on the other end of the spectrum, Riser treats his as his own personal harem."

"Charming. So, is she coming here?"

Hermione nodded, channelling magic into a piece of paper she pulled from her robes, which had an elaborate magic circle on it. "She'll be here soon, now."

Eventually, the floor nearby flared with crimson light, with a magic circle appearing. A quartet of people appeared within the circles, all dressed in a school uniform and, in the case of the three girls, a rather scandalous-looking one at that.

Two of the girls were ridiculously buxom for their age, and inhumanly beautiful. One had blood red hair and aqua eyes, and a vaguely regal, though still friendly, air, though something about her face strongly reminded him of Hermione. The other had dark hair and violet eyes, her expression gentle and demure in her Asian features. The third girl was a couple of years their junior at least, petite, with pale silver hair cut in a short bob, and golden eyes peering at him appraisingly from an otherwise stoic face. The sole boy was blonde-haired, handsome, even a little effeminate.

The redhead was the first to talk, looking at Hermione. "Hello, Hermione. So, what's the verdict?"

Hermione handed over the parchment with Harry's pedigree on it, and the redhead peered at it, before nodding. "I see. Have you told him…?"

"Pretty much all the important stuff," Hermione said. She then turned back to Harry. "Introductions are in order. Harry Tonks, or rather, Harry Phenex, this is my cousin, Rias Gremory."

Harry shook the buxom redhead's hand. "Hi. I'm a bit at sea about this."

"I can imagine," Rias said, smiling in a reassuring manner. "Already, I can tell you're better than your father. Hermione, may I introduce the rest of my Peerage?"

"Go ahead."

"This is Akeno Himejima, my Queen," Rias said, indicating the Asiatic girl. Harry shook her hand, and Akeno gave him a demure smile. "My Knight, Yuuto Kiba." The blonde boy put his hand forward, and Harry shook it. "And finally, Shirone, my Rook, though she goes in public by Koneko Toujou." The petite girl accepted Harry's handshake, but her flat expression didn't change.

"Sorry, Queen? Knight? Rook?" Harry asked.

"Oh, right, I forgot the tutorial," Hermione said. "Each chess piece used to convert someone into a Devil corresponds to certain attributes. Knights emphasize speed and attack power, while Rooks emphasize sheer strength and durability. Rias has a Bishop, but for various reasons, he's not here. Bishops have enhanced magical power. And Queens combine all of that into one. Pawns are footsoldiers, but in enemy territory or with the permission of the King, can 'Promote' themselves to have the abilities of other pieces."

Harry frowned as he looked at the others. He wasn't sure how Akeno qualified as a Queen, though he could see Kiba as a fast Knight. But Shirone?

As he peered incredulously at Shirone, Hermione said, "Don't let appearances fool you, Harry. Shirone is a nekoshou, like me. She's stronger than a human, even before she became a Rook."

"Oh?" Harry asked. "How strong are you then, Shirone?"

"Strong enough," the petite girl said in a quiet voice.

"So…where's your ears?" Harry asked, probably tactlessly.

"Shirone is a little shy when it comes to her heritage," Rias said.

"Remember what I told you of the pogrom against nekomatas, Harry," Hermione said. "Shirone doesn't like advertising that she's a nekomata."

"A shame. She'd look really cute with cat ears," Harry said with a smile. Shirone returned it, eventually.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, let's have some tea, right? I had Dobby bring this up. And yes, Shirone, he did bring your favourite sweets."

They all sat down, and Akeno began serving the tea. "In Britain, I believe this is called 'playing mother'," Akeno said.

"So, where do you guys go to school? Japan?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Rias said. "We go to school at Kuoh High School for a number of reasons. The first is that that is the territory I have been assigned to supervise, alongside our friend, Sona Sitri. That may sound boring, but in truth, it's a spiritually rich town that attracts the supernatural. The second, admittedly, is personal. I'm very much a Japanophile, what some people call an otaku, though I'd like to think I'm more attractive than the average otaku." She gave Harry a wink and a smile. "The third is that Akeno's mother used to run a shrine there, and the place has sentimental value for her."

Akeno nodded, her smile becoming rueful. "Like you, Harry, I lost my mother, and have…problems with my father. Unlike you, I don't have a chance to save my mother."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Akeno." And he meant that. It was ironic he felt more at ease amongst these Devils than he did amongst most normal people.

"Each of my Peerage have rather painful tales in their pasts," Rias said. "I grew up in considerable privilege and luxury, but I also make it a point to help others. Admittedly, they joined my Peerage because they lacked other options, but I do not think of them as servants. Each and every one of my Peerage are my friends."

"Including your Bishop?" Harry asked.

"Yes, though Gasper, which is his name, is very skittish. There's a number of reasons why, including the fact that he lacks control over his very powerful Sacred Gear," Rias said. She then took a sip of her tea, before remarking, "You're handling this very well."

"Give me time, I'll start screaming," Harry said in a deadpan tone.

The others present, save for Shirone, who was currently eating sweets at an astonishing rate, chuckled. Eventually, Harry asked, "Hermione, you said I could bring my mother out of her coma if you thought I was a Devil. Why is that?"

"If you're a Devil, you can potentially get a set of Evil Pieces, the enchanted chess pieces we use to build our Peerage. We'll have to see Ajuka Beelzebub to make sure," Hermione pointed out. "Evil Pieces don't just convert other beings into Devils. They can heal them to a degree as well, bring them back from the dead, as long as it's done shortly after death. They can certainly bring someone out of a coma. It's a bit like a supernatural version of Regeneration from _Doctor Who_."

"And you'll need them, and a Peerage, as soon as possible," Rias said. "If you do agree to marry me, then Riser will most definitely target you."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"The man is no gentleman," Kiba said, his voice betraying a mixture of accents, including Italian. Harry supposed that made sense: he looked European rather than the Japanese his name suggested. "He is possessive and spiteful. I have had the displeasure of meeting him a few times before. We all have. His sole good point that I know of is his devotion to his sister, Ravel. Though this is the first I've heard of him having offspring."

"We probably have the low fertility rate of Devils to thank for such an attitude," Hermione said. "Then again, he wouldn't use protection anyway, or even use contraceptive charms."

Harry grimaced, thinking to James Potter's numerous affairs that occasionally hit the front page of _The Daily Prophet_ , though Sirius Black's affairs were generally more frequent. "So I need a Peerage to protect me from Riser?"

"Sort of," Rias said. "You'd need them to fight alongside you in a Rating Game. Rating Games are battles fought between Peerages as a means of settling disputes. Rating Games are also fought as a means of increasing standing. Rating Games aren't fought to the death: after enough damage is done to the participants, they are transported out of the pocket dimension they fight in for treatment."

"It's not just Riser who may be an issue," Hermione said. "As I said, the Biblical factions are in a standoff, a ceasefire more than a true peace. The other two factions are the Holy Church, affiliated with God and the Angels, and the Fallen Angels, most of whom are affiliated with the Grigori organisation. I assume the reason you haven't gained any attention from either of them is because your powers were sealed by your mother. Once I unseal them, though, you'll have them to worry about."

"Consecrated ground is a toxic environment to Devils, so it's best if you stay away from churches," Rias said. "Entering one will certainly get attention from Heaven anyway. That being said, while some Angels are of the 'shoot first, ask questions later' mindset, most will listen to you if you have an explanation. The ones you really have to look out for are Exorcists, elite warriors trained by the Christian Church. The Vatican actually shares its training facilities with other churches, including the Church of England. Exorcists use weapons of holy light, which is toxic to Devils. They can even erase Devils from existence entirely, so be careful."

"And then, you come to the Fallen Angels," Akeno said, her habitual smile going away. "While a few are reasonable, many are desperate to get back into God's good graces, and believe they can do so by killing Devils, regardless of whether they are Strays or not. Angels, Fallen or not, can create Light Spears that are effective against Devils. And the Fallen frequently retain the services of Stray Exorcists, Exorcists who, for one reason or another, were expelled from the Christian Church."

"And Stray Devils?" Harry asked.

"Devils who have left their Peerage," Kiba said. "Because they're normally dependent on the power they gain from their King to a degree, as well as those with pacts they make with humans, they begin to lose control. Most mutate into savage monsters that prey on humans. One of the jobs of a Devil living in the human realm like Rias is to hunt down Strays and either have them go back to their master…or kill them."

"Okay…I think that's enough of an info-dump for the moment," Harry said, before he began drinking his own tea. Thank Merlin for cups enchanted to keep the tea warm.

As he drank his tea, he thought back over his life. Certainly a few things made better sense now. He'd always knew he was a bastard child. How could he not, without James Potter reminding him every day before he finally disowned him and cast him out, thankfully with the Tonks family taking him in. And there were these odd feelings.

As the outcast of the Potter family, a bastard child who was a mark of Lily's shame, Harry had felt like an outsider, even here at Hogwarts. Even as his brother ended up going on adventures (Harry had ended up petrified while helping Hermione out with that Basilisk issue), Harry stayed on the sidelines. He wanted to fight against evil, he wanted adventures, he wanted to be known as something other than Charles Potter's bastard half-brother…but admittedly, on his own terms. He actually liked staying out of the limelight.

Learning that his father, according to these people, was a more figurative bastard didn't actually affect Harry that much. He'd spent years of putting up with James Potter's bullshit, not to mention that of Sirius Black. Not that he lacked for good father figures: Ted Tonks was a good one, as was Remus Lupin once he worked up the courage to come see him. And once he had gotten over his anger at Dumbledore being partially responsible for his plight (even if Dumbledore hadn't intended for James Potter to disown him, he was the one who filled James and Charles with that 'Boy Who Lived' bullshit), Harry had considered the old man a grandfather figure.

Plus, he realised that, if they were telling the truth, and his father was a nasty sort, then he had a chivalric streak that demanded that he help Rias, even if he didn't go so far as to marry her. True, she was very beautiful and sexy, and a loud, vocal part of his psyche tied to his libido wanted him to tap that _hard_. However, he knew better than to base a relationship on looks alone, and while she seemed compassionate enough and intelligent enough to tick his boxes, he'd prefer to get to know her better before he committed fully to this.

And to come to grips with his true nature.

So, he was a Devil? Or at least half. He chuckled inwardly at the irony, at how so many students called him 'dark' and suspected him to be Voldemort's second advent when he revealed he was a Parselmouth a couple of years back. Charlie enjoyed spreading those rumours, and he didn't bother apologising when the true culprit was found, even though they were both in Gryffindor.

McGonagall had asked whether he wanted to be a Prefect, but he told her he didn't want to be. Between Quidditch practise and his OWLs, he'd have enough on his plate. And now, with this new revelation, he had even more. Besides, he doubted he could resist the temptation to remove a ridiculous amount of points from his brother and Draco Malfoy for their bullshit. It would be good revenge, but unfortunately, Snape wouldn't take it lying down.

Eventually, he said, "So, what now?"

"I have permission from Dumbledore to take you to the Underworld, to try and remove the bindings on your power while it's the weekend," Hermione said. "The Underworld, by the way, is distinct from Hell. I checked the bindings before, and brute force can't be used to open them. Ajuka Beelzebub is our best bet, and you can get your Evil Pieces from him as well. Plus, Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan want to meet you."

"Why is that?"

"I think my brother wants to know his potential brother-in-law. As for Serafall…she does whatever she wants," Rias said. "She's…a bit eccentric."

"And in other breaking news, the ocean is wet," Shirone snarked.

"Have I missed something?" Harry asked.

"Don't worry, you'll understand soon, Harry," Hermione said. Unfortunately, her tone didn't bode well for his sanity afterwards…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's met Rias and her Peerage, and has learned more things. If you're wondering why Harry is being, well, so accepting, it's partly the shock of the situation, and partly because he trusts Hermione. Plus, he's gotten the answer to a question he's been asking his whole life.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	4. Chapter 3: Sympathy for the Devils

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVILS**

As it turned out, removing the bindings was ridiculously easy. Ajuka Beelzebub, who turned out to be a handsome, green-haired man, removed them within minutes of arrival, though he cited his ease of doing so to his years of experience (though it was bloody painful, to say the least: Ajuka had cheerfully likened it to ripping off a bandage, to nobody's amusement but his own, though he made some strange remark about a soul fragment in Harry's scar he wanted to analyze). He then gave him a box containing Evil Pieces, and then left the residence that turned out to be Hermione's home in the Underworld.

The Underworld was not what he expected, really. The main difference was the sky, being purple in colour. Then again, it wasn't Hell, which was what he usually equated Devils with. The house he was in could have been a stately home in England, a manor house. And the room they were in was a well-appointed drawing room.

"If you think this is impressive, you should see the main Bael or Gremory estates," Hermione said. "They're practically palaces."

"Wow," Harry said. "It's weird how calm and peaceful this place seems."

"Don't be fooled," Rias said. "Some Stray Devils stick to the Underworld and would gladly attack any Devil they think weak enough to attack. It's strange seeing your hair look like that."

Harry nodded. He'd had dark brown hair, as messy as James Potter's, but it had now, with his bindings undone, gained a blonde streak. He was surprised he didn't have red hair like his mother, but Hermione said that genetic mixtures between Devils and other species was weird.

"So, tell me about yourself, Rias," Harry said. "I mean, Hermione's secrets aside, I pretty much know a lot about her already."

The redhead smiled. "Oh? Well, I'm not sure what there is to say. You're new to this world, so you may not know of the prestige our family name commands, but to tell the truth, I won't say much about that, as I'm sure it'd sound like bragging." Her smile became a little more subdued, even rueful. "In truth…well, I'd like to be known for more than my family name. That's why I go to a human school, in Japan."

"Why Japan?"

"As Hermione told you, I'm a Japanophile. I love manga and anime of all sorts. You do know what those are, right?"

Harry nodded. Dora had introduced him to a few, like _Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dragonball_ , and _Fullmetal Alchemist_. "Do you have a favourite?"

"Well, my particular favourite is not an anime, not yet. It's a visual novel called _Fate/Stay Night_. I've heard rumours that an anime adaptation is coming soon(1). It's part of the reason I went to school in Japan. Hermione was more of an Anglophile, and wanted to learn more wizarding magic, to increase her arsenal. She's always been the brains of the family. Anyway, while in Japan, I help administer the region around Kuoh with Sona Sitri. To be honest, aside from my Peerage, Hermione, and Sona, I don't really have any friends. Most see me for my family name, and the reputation of my brother. Though given the stories Hermione tells me, I suppose I should be grateful that my brother, at least, loves me."

"And your brother is Lucifer."

"Yes. Keep in mind, that's a title. The Lucifer family still exists, but they're in hiding, as are the other leaders of the Old Satan Faction. The Four Great Satans are also known as the Devil Kings, each with a different purview," Hermione said. "Lucifer is in overall executive command and administration. Leviathan is in charge of foreign affairs. Beelzebub is in charge of R&D. And Asmodeus is in charge of the military. But the Four Great Satans earned their way to their positions, Harry. They are amongst the strongest, if not _the_ strongest, Devils in existence."

"So, if your brother is so powerful, why can't he dissolve this marriage?" Harry asked.

"In a word, politics," Rias said bitterly. "You have to realise that not all Devils are united under the banner of peace. My brother has to maintain a relative amount of neutrality, even if only in appearances. Breaking up the marriage contract may cause another civil war. The best I could hope for was managing to beat Riser in a Rating Game, but even that wouldn't be certain. You see, my father is greedy for more powerful offspring for more prestige. He isn't that bad, but he's fixated on this goal. He wanted a child that combined the Bael Power of Destruction, the Gremory reserves of power, and the Phenex's regenerative ability."

"Uh-huh," Harry said. "And he didn't ask for your opinion?"

"Arranged marriages are actually the norm down here," Hermione said with a sigh. "While not as backwards as Magical Britain in some areas, like where technology is concerned, Devils are still backwards in some areas. And in truth, Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex are blind to the faults of Riser."

"He's far from stupid," Rias said. "He's a good fighter, and he knows how to delegate. His sister, Ravel, is one of his Bishops on his Peerage, but unlike the other members of his Peerage, he doesn't have her there to fulfil his sexual desires. He's not that depraved. No, she helps with his strategies and commanding in the field. Of course, his reliance on the Phenex ability to regenerate means that he has become arrogant. Of the Rating Games he has fought, the only two that he has lost, he threw on purpose as favours to the families involved."

"Rias is technically only due to marry Riser after she has been to university," Akeno added, "but Riser is putting pressure on his father to pressure Lord Gremory to bring the date forward, as he is rather impatient for his trophy wife. The actual marriage date is not in the contract."

"Even if I don't agree to marry you," Harry said, "would Riser try to kill me or something? Does he hate bastard offspring?"

"Probably not," Rias said. "Cambions are not well-liked, true, but Riser would most likely ignore you. Of course, if you did agree to it, that'd be another matter. Harry, I could beg you to marry me, but I'm not an idiot. If it weren't for Hermione, I wouldn't know what you were like, whether you were like Riser. And even then, you don't know me. We only have Hermione as a mutual friend. I hope that you can marry me…but it's not the only way I can be free of this engagement."

"Yeah, I've got that, Rias. I just…if I'm going to go through with this, I want to get to know you. And I'm sure you feel the same way."

The red-haired Devil smiled warmly. "Of course. Besides, even if you don't decide to go through with it, it still means I can be your _senpai_ when it comes to our world."

On Harry's confused look, Hermione clarified, " _Senpai_ is an honorific meaning an immediate superior, usually at school or the workplace, and frequently a mentor. Rias just likes using Japanese terms."

"Okay," Harry said, a little uncertainly. "So…your brother, what's he like?"

"He's a good man, believe it or not. Though he's rather embarrassing in the attention he lavishes on me when we're alone. He'll be accompanied by his wife and Queen, Grayfia Lucifuge. Serafall is…well, have you heard of _Sailor Moon? Cardcaptors? Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha?_ " Rias asked.

"I've heard of the first two, but not that last one."

"Okay, they all belong to a genre of anime called the 'magical girl' genre. She's really into the whole magical girl thing, and even stars in her own show. She looks and acts like a child, but she's actually as old as my brother."

"So, how will they be coming in? Via the front door? Teleportation?"

"The latter. They have permission from the house's ward system. I asked Dumbledore for the same for Bael and Gremory magic teleportation at Hogwarts," Hermione said. Crimson and sky blue light flared nearby. "Speak of the Devils…"

The three people that were revealed were a study in contrasts. The first was a young man who, with impossibly handsome, even beautiful features framed by blood red hair, could only be Rias' brother, though he looked only a few years her senior. He was dressed rather simply in a beautifully tailored suit.

Next to him was a beautiful but rather stern woman in a maid's outfit. Silver hair framed impassive features. She had the air of utter seriousness that made McGonagall look like she lacked discipline.

Finally, there was what looked like a girl in her early to mid-teens, albeit with surprisingly large breasts for her size, dressed in a frilly outfit, and wielding a stave. Dark hair, styled in twin pigtails, framed pretty features that had an air of mischief to her expression.

Harry saw the others standing, and so followed suit. "Harry," Hermione said, "allow me to introduce you to Lord Sirzechs Lucifer, Lady Grayfia Lucifuge, and Lady Serafall Leviathan."

"So formal, Hermione-chan," Serafall, the girl, pouted.

Hermione smirked slightly. "I do it because it annoys you, _Lady_ Serafall. Well, annoys you without making you want to make a good chunk of the Underworld go away."

"You're lucky I like you, Hermione-chan," Serafall said childishly. Well, Harry would soon come to learn she wouldn't do anything but childishly…unless she was truly serious. "Where's Kuro-chan and your other lovely Peerage members?"

"Kuroka's working with Bikou and the Pendragons to investigate the Khaos Brigade we've been hearing about, as you well know. My other Peerage members are staying at Hogwarts for now. Luna says 'hi', by the way."

Sirzechs cleared his throat, though he had an amused smile on his face. "Sorry, Serafall, but we do need to get down to business. Anyway, how do you do, Harry Tonks?"

"Very well…umm, what do I call you?"

"Just Sirzechs will be fine in informal settings like this, I don't stand on convention. To tell the truth, I detest bowing and scraping," the red-haired man said with a chuckle. "There's a difference between familiarity and insolence after all, and I'd prefer to make new friends than enemies."

"Then it's nice to meet you, Sirzechs," Harry said. "So…I presume you know what this is all about?"

"Rias and Hermione have been keeping me abreast of things, yes," Sirzechs said. "Speaking as a concerned brother rather than one of the Devil Kings, I am relieved that there is a possible alternative. Of course it is dependent on many factors. Your consent is of course one of them, but I also have to sell my father on the idea, along with Lord Phenex. While they probably will give their consent if I sell it to them correctly, nothing is definite, as much as my adorable little sister would like it to be."

"To say nothing of Riser, from what they were telling me," Harry said.

Grayfia cleared her throat pointedly. "Yes. Sadly, even if Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex agrees to this, Riser will almost certainly object to this the moment he hears of it. And given what Lord Beelzebub has said about you only now obtaining your Evil Pieces, you do not have long to obtain a Peerage before Riser decides to challenge you to an unofficial Rating Game."

"Or maybe he should awaken his Sacred Gear," Hermione mused. "It's definitely a draconic one, so it could be anything from a Twice Critical all the way up to…"

"How am I supposed to awaken a Sacred Gear, anyway?" Harry interrupted.

"It's simpler than you'd think," Rias said with a smile. "Hermione told me that, last year, you learned the Patronus charm to repel Dementors, correct? When Peter Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban? Generally, you focus, instead of a happy memory, on a sense of power, and summon it. Try focusing it on your arm. Most draconic Sacred Gears start off as a form of gauntlet."

Harry, after a moment, decided, with an attitude of 'what the hell', to do what Hermione suggested. After a moment's concentration, a crimson gauntlet with a green gem embedded in it formed over his arm. He stared at it a moment, and then moved it. "Okay, so…umm, why are you all staring at me like that?"

And indeed, everyone present was gaping at him, save for Grayfia, and her eyes were still wide in her otherwise stoic face. No, not at him, Harry realised, but the gauntlet. "Oh my," Akeno murmured. "That is certainly not a Twice Critical."

"Y Ddraig Goch," Hermione breathed in awe.

"Uhhh…gesundheit?" Harry asked.

Sirzechs began chuckling. "Well, this is interesting. A Phenex Cambion with _that_ Sacred Gear. You lucked out, Harry. Your Sacred Gear is one of the most powerful: the Boosted Gear, one of the Longinuses. Sealed within it is the soul of Y Ddraig Goch, the Welsh Red Dragon, one of the two Heavenly Dragons."

"And…that means what?"

"When it's activated in battle, the Boosted Gear doubles your current strength every ten seconds," Hermione explained. "Physical and magical. Of course, it can only do that up to a point where your body can stand it, so to use the Boosted Gear to its full potential, you'd need to be trained. But…the Boosted Gear may be just what you need…"

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's found out that he has Ddraig, and has thus won the Sacred Gear lottery. Of course, it doesn't mean he's invincible at all…**

 **1\. By stating this, I'm dating this story to 11 years ahead of Potterverse canon, in September 2005. The original** ** _Fate/Stay Night_** **visual novel came out in 2004, while the first anime adaptation started airing in January 2006.**


	5. Chapter 4: Crash Course

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **CRASH COURSE**

Harry stared at the gauntlet, the Boosted Gear, disturbed as Hermione, Rias, Sirzechs and Serafall took turns to explain the history behind it. How the two Heavenly Dragons, Ddraig and Albion, clashed in open warfare during the last Great War between the forces of Heaven, the Fallen, and the Devils. So great was the devastation that the three factions called a temporary truce to put a stop to the two dragons. Ddraig and Albion were imprisoned within Sacred Gears, but their rivalry was destined to spread to their bearers as well.

There were other Dragons (the capital D seemed important, as these were sentient beings, as opposed to the ones he read about in Care for Magical Creatures, or the one Hagrid tried to raise in his second year) around. Only a few others dwelt within Sacred Gears, with many at liberty. Of those, the most powerful were Ophis and the Great Red Dragon.

"Ophis is not really a problem," Hermione said. "She could have been, but…Luna Lovegood, who is my Knight, befriended her some years ago."

"Befriended a Dragon," Harry said flatly. "One of the most powerful, if not THE most powerful, in existence. That does sound like Luna, frankly." Luna was an eccentric, but she was a good friend.

"Ophis can shapeshift, changing forms in the way you and I would change clothes," Hermione said. "She currently takes the form of a young girl wearing Victorian dress. In fact, gender to her is wholly optional. Believe me, it's even more unbelievable for me, and for everyone else here. Ophis is notoriously solitary, the concept of her even having a friend in the first place is…it surpasses 'bizarre', frankly. Or 'terrifying'. To put it into perspective, Ophis' power is at a level at or beyond God's. Nobody's crazy enough to put that to the test."

"So…if I ever meet her, avoid pissing her off?" Harry asked.

"It's standard operating procedure when dealing with beings as powerful as Ophis," Sirzechs said, trying to make light of the situation.

Harry looked down at the Sacred Gear again. It was weird how utterly natural it felt, as if the gauntlet had been part of him all this time. Well, it had been, but still, it was disconcerting. "So, these Longinuses, they're the most powerful Sacred Gears?"

"Yep! The most powerful of them all is the True Longinus, what most people would think of as the Spear of Longinus, Harry-chan," Serafall chirped. "But the Boosted Gear is certainly powerful in of itself."

"It certainly gives you an extra advantage," Sirzechs said. "As a Phenex, you'll have their regenerative ability and mastery over fire magic, but the Boosted Gear will also enhance your physical strength, giving you more options in combat."

"Wish I'd known about this thing during that riot at the Quidditch World Cup," Harry muttered, thinking back to that saga.

"A shame, that, but you have awakened it now," Hermione said. "How do you feel?"

"A little like an old friend of mine when she used to go on rants about how much she loved God," Harry said with a wince. "Very much a tomboy. She was from Japan originally. Told me about one of her friends from back home, Issei something or other. She was pretty much my only friend before Hogwarts, but she had to move to Italy."

"Oh, right, you told me about her. Irina something or other."

"Irina Shido," Harry said, only to notice Sirzechs wincing. "You know her?"

"I know the name Shido. Was her father's name Touji?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Then you've had a lucky escape. Touji Shido was once one of the Church's most feared Exorcists," Sirzechs said. "If they've gone to Italy, Irina may be following in her father's footsteps. Keep in mind that, while most Exorcists are not a threat to powerful and experienced Devils, younger and less powerful ones are other matters entirely. They use holy light-based weaponry, and can even exorcise a Devil in such a way that they erase them completely from existence."

Harry didn't fail to notice the grimace on Kiba's face at the mention of the Exorcists, marring his face instead of his usual friendly smile. A bad experience with the Exorcists, maybe? "Okay, so, even more reason to avoid the Church. Irina was a nice girl, though. I don't think she'd kill me straight away. She even tried to teach me how to use a sword."

This, if anything, made Kiba scowl more, and Harry decided to shut up. Rias interjected. "It might not be best to mention such things in front of Kiba. Out of my Peerage, he has had the worst experience with the Church, or rather, their experimental divisions."

Harry could tell by the look on Kiba's face that that was a story he wouldn't learn any time soon. It did explain the touch of an Italian accent his voice had, though, if he had been in the Vatican. Serafall broke the silence with a clap. "Now, now, no more talking about such depressing things!" she chirped. "So, you're the Red Dragon Emperor who's half-wizard, half-Phenex. That means you can kick so much arse! Oh, I can see it now, the gallant knight rescuing the fair maiden from his evil father! Oh! I can just see the series! I'll go and talk to the company!"

"… _What_ ," was all Harry could say coherently.

Akeno emitted an amused noise. "Lady Serafall owns her own animation company in Japan. They mostly produce magical girl anime series, including one she herself stars in. The title translates, a little awkwardly to English, as _Magical Girl Milky Spiral 7 Alternative_. It's yet to receive a dub in English."

"The last dubbing company I trusted with one of my series, they cut all the good stuff out," Serafall pouted. "And I was not happy with 4Kids, to say the least. I'm considering Funimation, Sentai Filmworks or Bang Zoom! Entertainment."

Grayfia cleared her throat rather pointedly. "Mr Tonks," she said. "Am I correct to assume that you are considering being engaged to Rias? And that it is contingent on you both getting better acquainted?"

"Yes. I mean, don't get me wrong, Rias seems nice, but I've known her for a few hours at most. Arranged marriage or not, that's not exactly a sound basis for marital bliss."

"True, but there have been many happy marriages that have been arranged. Please, do not misunderstand me, Mr Tonks: privately, I share my husband and my sister-in-law's distaste towards Riser Phenex. So too does Lady Venelana. Unfortunately, changing the minds of Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex would be virtually impossible. They are not malicious as much as they are blind to Riser's faults, and believe Rias' protests to be the overreactions of a child. The possibility of you being of Phenex blood has been her first true hope in some time."

"So, no pressure, huh?" Harry asked wryly. "Like I said, I can't guarantee anything…but if I grow to like Rias, and vice versa, I'm more than willing to help."

"Harry has a bit of a saving people thing," Hermione remarked. "His brother gets into more of the adventures, but Harry likes to try and save people, period. He and I went over the various possibilities during the whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco, and he helped me figure out who Nicholas Flamel was. He tried to get Mandrakes ordered for the victims of the Basilisk, only for Lucius Malfoy to block it. He also helps the Muggleborns understand the etiquette and social structure of Magical Britain in a way few of the teachers do." Hermione gave a sad smile. "If it weren't for him…well, I would've been squashed by a Troll if I was human. He saved me from having to expose myself."

Harry scowled, thinking back to the incident in question, when Charlie and Ron had doubleteamed her, teasing her over her admittedly bossy attitude. To their credit, they seemed guilty when Harry confronted them on it afterwards, and Ron had since become, if not a friend to Hermione, then at least an ally, especially when Charlie tired of Ron, preferring the company of the more timid and better-connected Neville. Harry didn't like Ron that much, true, but it was more due to the boy's sloth and greed for reflected fame rather than any nasty nature.

Charlie, however…while he wasn't evil by any means, and certainly not quite as bad as that blonde twat Draco Malfoy, he was still a selfish little brat who was spoiled by his father, proclaiming to all and sundry that he was the Boy Who Lived. In terms of grades, he could back that arrogance up, mostly in Charms, Transfiguration and DADA, which were also Harry's strong subjects (along with Potions, not that Snape would admit that, being prejudiced against anyone from Gryffindor, let alone anyone with a remote connection to James Potter). But he seemed to believe that he deserved many things delivered to him on a silver platter.

Harry knew better. A lot of what Harry had, he had to earn. The Tonks family had helped, true, and Dora was a great teacher, but Harry earned his way through Hogwarts through hard work. Some things came easily, others didn't.

He hadn't been expecting an opportunity like this to happen. True, there was something of him that yearned for recognition, for reward after the injustice of James Potter disowning him and kicking him out, of Sirius Black's sneers, of having to toil under the shadow of his half-brother. But he wasn't expecting to have an offer of marriage to a very beautiful girl, even if it was to get her away from a bad suitor. A suitor who happened to be his real father.

He wasn't angry about Riser being his father (towards him, for how he treated Rias, was another matter). He already knew, intellectually at least, that his biological father probably wasn't the hero he had been secretly hoping he was, even if it was disappointing. But to learn about this, well…he didn't want to let this stand.

The whole thing about getting to know Rias was a precaution for both of them. They barely knew each other, and so they could make the decision once they got to know each other. Also, it would give Harry enough time to start building a Peerage in case of retaliation from Riser. Like Rias, he wouldn't fill it with servants, but with friends and family, with people who needed help, and who would be willing to help him in their turn.

"Well, I, for one, look forward to getting to know you better, Harry," Sirzechs said. "And maybe you can help save her…"

* * *

The rest of the weekend was spent in the Underworld, Harry receiving more of an education in Underworld politics, and of the Three Biblical Factions in general. He also got to know Rias and her Peerage a little more.

Rias, while a little haughty and aristocratic in nature, nonetheless was warm and friendly, and not afraid to lace her words with a little innuendo when it suited her. He had to admit, he was already growing to like her, and he hoped the feeling was reciprocated. He still had the feeling that Rias, despite her friendliness, was still assessing him, presumably afraid that he would turn out like his father, though she did confirm she was open to sharing Harry with other girls, to a degree.

Akeno had a rather warm and friendly nature herself, albeit somewhat demure. Harry would soon come to learn that this was a mask, that Akeno hid beneath that rather gentle demeanour a taste for BDSM. And even then, she had the occasional flirtatious remark to make. Still, she seemed genuinely nice to Harry.

Kiba was…interesting. Hermione warned Harry not to bring up any issues involving the Vatican with him, telling Harry that Kiba would tell Harry once he was comfortable enough. Even so, the handsome young boy seemed to try to be friendly with Harry, and Harry tried to reciprocate. Kiba had a Sacred Gear himself, the Sword Birth, allowing him to create many kinds of swords from nothing, even swords that could counteract the holy swords wielded by Exorcists.

Shirone kept up her stoic façade, but Harry could tell, in small ways, that she was, while wary of him, tentatively accepting him. Despite her impassive demeanour, Harry found her endearing. And she and Hermione, while not closely related (they were apparently distant cousins), acted like sisters.

Rias took great delight in giving Harry a crash course in the manga and anime she liked. And the three of them, along with Akeno, began making plans as to how they would deal with the inevitable fallout when (not if) Harry made his mother part of his Peerage. They decided that a false flag operation was in order, something that could be blamed on the Death Eaters that had been rioting at the Quidditch World Cup. Or at least whoever cast the Dark Mark.

There were other people to consider too. Harry thought that Remus Lupin might be amenable, and maybe one of the Tonks. Fred and George Weasley had yet to be approached by Hermione for her Peerage, so maybe he could get them. He needed to get at least one each of the key pieces first. Queen, Bishop, Knight and Rook.

Riser, admittedly, got powerful fighters for his Peerage, but his main priority was his fetishes. Save for Ravel, who served as one of his Bishops, his Peerage existed for him to ogle at the very least, and to allow him to fuck them on demand for the most part. Then again, while good fighters, Riser did go for quantity over quality, but Ravel, Riser, and his Queen, Yubelluna, were all but a whole Peerage to themselves. They could afford to be like this.

Harry was going to reserve judgement on most of his family. In fact, given what Hermione said of Ravel, he was interested in meeting his aunt in a social setting, who was apparently a couple of years his junior. But Riser…well, Harry could only hope that he could trust Hermione's opinion of the man. He trusted her enough all these years, her keeping secret her true nature aside.

Then again, maybe this was the point where he would stop just existing…and start living. Maybe now he had some answers, he could do just that…

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's learned about the Boosted Gear, and is starting to get to know Rias. But will he agree to marry her?**

 **Now, I have to say, I'm more than a little annoyed at the reception a few of you have given this. Firstly, remember that I am the author of this story, not you guys, and so I decide how the story goes. The mistakes I make are mine to make, and mine alone. Secondly, don't like? Don't read. And, for preference,** ** _don't leave a review_** **. I'm not forcing you guys to read this, and I have plenty of other stories that you may or may not like. I know not all of my stories are for everyone, and some are admittedly written more lazily than others, but I'd prefer to write each story in the way I see fit.**

 **While the story may make Rias and Hermione look bad, keep in mind, they're trying for alternatives to Rias marrying Riser, and Hermione has every confidence in Harry's abilities, not because he's the Boy Who Lived (which he isn't perceived as, obviously, for this story), but because she has known him for three of her years of education prior to this. She knows he's capable of great magic, and believes that, once his abilities are unlocked, he can match Riser. Rias trusts Hermione's opinion, though she is not going to rest on her laurels: she's intending to train her Peerage just in case things do go sour.**

 **It's actually worth pointing out that Rias doesn't actually seem to start training her Peerage properly, at least in** ** _High School DxD_** **canon, until the first Rating Game, so she can be accused of resting on her laurels. Here, thanks to Hermione getting on her case, she's actually a little better. And if need be, she can potentially trade Harry her own Peerage temporarily if he can't get his own up to snuff. They're hoping that won't need to be the case.**

 **The emphasis of the story, in the end, is on the growing relationship between Harry, Rias, and Hermione, as well as his coming to terms with his new power when, before, he was relatively powerless and without a real identity of his own. This is actually a little why he's taking it so well: he's receiving answers he's sought for a long time.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Leicontis** **: Yeah, sorry, it completely slipped my mind. I did use the joke in my abortive story** ** _Sympathy for the Devil_** **, though it is Sirius who quotes the song, and Sirzech just laughs at it.**

 **Rake1810** **: We'll have more of this in later chapters, particularly Dumbledore's attitude to having a Devil in Hogwarts. Dumbledore takes a rather 'live and let live' attitude to Devils, as long as they meet his moral standards. He wants Hermione (and later, Harry) to run any students she wants to make part of her Peerage by him, and as long as it's consensual… Anyway, Hermione went to Hogwarts for similar reasons to Rias. Being part-nekomata means she has a small level of infamy in the Underworld, and she wanted to go to a human school to experience a relatively normal life. She chose Hogwarts because she thought she might be able to get some interesting servants, well, friends for her Peerage. She also thought that there may be students with Sacred Gears.**

 **Guest** **: I was considering Remus as a Rook or a Bishop, more the former than the latter (he won't join Harry's Peerage right away, though). Tonks is still up in the air, I'm thinking a Bishop (being a Knight with her clumsiness is a recipe for disaster). Hagrid…I hadn't considered him. I will consider Hagrid, but keep in mind, I probably won't use him.**

 **Jordisk** **: Yes, Harry is the actual Boy Who Lived, but no, it wasn't his Phenex regeneration. It was a combination of his innate nature as a Devil (in this story, Devils aren't killed instantly by the Killing Curse, but it does cause a lot of damage, and repeated hits can kill them) and Lily's ritual.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	6. Chapter 5: Discussions

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **DISCUSSIONS**

Rias Gremory was a decent enough chess player. She was sure that more than a few humans at Kuoh looked at her body, and thought there was little more to her than her beauty. With the school recently made co-ed, that was sure to increase. But Rias was actually quite smart, and a good chess player, though not as excellent as her good friend Sona Sitri.

Sona was very much a contrast to her older sister. Hell, if you put the two side by side, you'd think that Sona, breast size aside, was the older sister, and not just due to her apparent age. Her stern, mostly serious demeanour gave her a gravitas beyond her years, as did the glasses she wore, admittedly for cosmetic effect. Still, despite her lack of buxomness, she was often desired by humans and Devils alike, and she made it a point not to allow anyone to court her without beating her at chess. The two occasionally played games, and they were currently doing so in the old school building that doubled as the HQ for the Occult Research Club at Kuoh High School.

As she moved a piece, Sona remarked, "I heard you spent the weekend in the Underworld with Hermione and that wizard she speaks of. Harry Potter, wasn't it?"

"Harry _Tonks_ , actually," Rias said, contemplating the board. "Harry was disowned by his father, so he has no right to the Potter name. Andromeda and Theodore Tonks took him in. He is the Boy Who Lived's older brother, though given what Lord Beelzebub took from that scar of his, that may not be the case. He may have been the true Boy Who Lived, and that senile old fool Dumbledore chose the wrong boy. Though from what I have heard, Dumbledore and Harry have made up."

"What did Lord Beelzebub take from Harry's scar?"

"A fragment of what could be Voldemort's soul. It has properties identical to a Horcrux," Rias said, her face screwed up in disgust.

"I shouldn't be surprised wizards still use those vile things," Sona remarked, her own face showing her disgust. "I believe it was one of the original Beelzebubs who gave Herpo the Foul the knowledge to create one in the first place, before Ajuka took up the position after the civil war against the Old Satan Faction."

"Well, sadly, it's so small a fragment of soul, Lord Beelzebub believes Voldemort made multiple Horcruxes," Rias said. "He's keeping the fragment in stasis, seeing if there's a ritual or something that can remove them all at once. Hermione and I suspected Horcruxes after she heard from Charles Potter about seeing Voldemort as a parasite on that teacher's head. This just confirms it."

"Did you tell Harry?"

"No, not yet. I'm having Hermione use a spell on Charles Potter to check whether he has one as well," Rias said.

"So, what is he like?"

"Well, on first impression, he's nothing like his father. Yes, his father is definitely Riser Phenex. About the only thing he has in common, aside from his abilities, is his libido, and he at least has the courtesy not to advertise that he lusts after me. I find it strange, though, that he was so accepting of everything. I'd expected a bit more…scepticism, even anger."

"Well, if Harry didn't know who his father was…maybe he's going along with it partly because you've given him answers he's sought all his life. That's check and mate, by the way."

Rias blinked, and looked at the board, and sighed. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention, or I would've given you a better game. I think it's partly that…and I think it was partly, well, maybe there was something in him that knew it was the truth. But he wants to get to know me first before he commits to this. Part of me is glad, but the other part is frustrated that he won't save me from this damned contract already."

"I'm sure," Sona said sympathetically. "But…I know you well enough to know that you'll impress him. It's whether he manages to impress you, Rias. I'm hoping he's not like these perverts who keep applying to the school now that it's co-ed. Already, there's a local trio of troublemakers, known for their perversion in middle school, who may be applying here for next year."

"Harry's not like that," Rias said. "Or at least he's hiding it well. I mean, I could tell he desired me, but he also had the good sense to hide it as best as he can, be, well, not quite a gentleman, but certainly more chivalrous than many I've met. I don't mind boys lusting after me, as long as they understand boundaries…or are entertaining. But I prefer someone who is more…refined. Not refined in an upper class sense, but…just someone who tries to respect my feelings."

"Basically, not Riser Phenex," Sona said. "It's a good idea, taking time to get to know you better. It also gives you time for Plan B, fighting Riser yourself in a Rating Game. Though isn't it a bit disingenuous having Harry fight on your behalf if he does agree?"

"I spoke to him about it. He's fine, as long as he has enough time to build up a Peerage and have them ready. Plus, it may not come to that. If my father and Lord Phenex are amenable to the idea, they may be able to persuade Riser to back off."

"That may be possible, but Riser is set on having you as his trophy wife, and you know it," Sona pointed out. "If he needs help, will you trade members from your own Peerage?"

"If necessary, and if Riser allows it. Knowing his arrogance, he will," Rias said. "Harry already has some tentative members of the Peerage pencilled in. I could spare Koneko and Kiba, and Hermione will gladly lend other members of her Peerage, but Harry wants to recruit as many people as possible himself."

"Like his mother?"

"Yes. He seemed to indicate that she will be his Queen. Hermione and I discussed this with him. We thought, given Lily being a witch, a Bishop piece would be better, but he heard stories about her unorthodox battle tactics from others. Given her reputed frequent usage of Apparition in battle, she could use the enhancements of a Knight piece as well. I think Harry wants his mother to be a good battlefield commander and heavy-hitter, like many Queens. He's considering approaching a werewolf friend of the family called Remus Lupin."

"I think I may have heard of him," Sona said. "His dissertation on Dark Creatures was very well written if that was him. Whereas Lockhart's books, while informative and entertaining, were glorified travelogues based on the plagiarised experiences of other wizards. Bishop, Knight, Rook or Pawn?"

"Not a Knight. He doesn't like his werewolf side, either, so Rook may be out. Bishop or Pawn, probably. Assuming he agrees. Reviving his mother aside, Harry seems as big on Reincarnating people into Devils with their consent as Hermione is."

"You did too, Rias," Sona remarked.

"Not exactly. Akeno and Shirone had little place to turn to, as you well know. Kiba, or Isaiah as he was known, was half-dead, and joined out of a desire for revenge. And Gasper…" Rias sighed. "Yes, they had a choice, but not much of one."

"At least you want to help them," Sona pointed out. "You know about Riser, and there's the rumours I heard about Diodora Astaroth and his thing for young nuns. Your Peerage may not have had much of a choice, true, but you helped them when few others would. It was thanks to you and Hermione and her parents that Shirone and Kuroka weren't executed."

"Didn't stop the mass murder of the nekomata, though," Rias sighed. "Most of them live in Kyoto with the other youkai if they've survived. But back to Harry…I'll admit, I don't want him to fight all of my battles. I'm hoping that Riser will leave it, even if reluctantly, with this. But realistically, Harry will need to start recruiting for his Peerage as soon as he can…"

* * *

Harry grimaced when he heard yet another whisper. His absence and Hermione's during the weekend had not gone unnoticed, and while there had been rumours that he and Hermione were boyfriend and girlfriend before, they seemed to be gaining more momentum now.

It wasn't that Harry actually _minded_ being thought of as Hermione's boyfriend per se. Neither of them did. But leaving aside the matter of including her in a polygamous relationship with a Devil heiress, these rumours often stated that he and Hermione were having it off in just about every spare broom cupboard in Hogwarts, which was just plain offensive. They took great delight in calling Hermione everything from a gold digger to a Mudblood slut, and unfortunately, name-calling wasn't penalised if a teacher or Prefect wasn't in earshot.

The problem with dealing with bullying, unless very restrictive magic was used, was that the bully could easily play the bullied. Certainly Snape had taken advantage of this bit of knowledge, taking the side of Slytherin every time one of his charges was involved, unless another teacher was present: he could gainsay any Prefect by dint of being a teacher. The only time he didn't do so was when the line was truly crossed, like sexual assault. The greasy-haired man had some standards.

Speaking of which, as he walked down the corridor, having finished another DADA lesson with that paranoiac Moody, he heard Snape's distinctive nasal drawl bark out, "Tonks! A word in my office, _now_."

Harry sighed as he turned and obeyed. He and Snape…they had, well, it couldn't be called a love-hate relationship, as there was no love between them. It couldn't be even called a friendship. But their bond had been forged based on mutual hatred, not of each other, but of James Potter, and of a hatred of idiots. Harry wasn't the most intelligent of students, but he had earned a smidgen of Snape's respect for doing well enough in Potions, and Snape's usual prejudice towards Gryffindors was lessened.

Harry had helped tutor Hermione, Ron and Neville in Potions. Unfortunately, only Hermione seemed to pick up on it, as well as a more mundane lesson, to avoid trying to show off her intelligence to Snape. Snape himself grudgingly admitted that Hermione was 'more than adequate' at Potions, high praise coming from the man, especially as Harry was not quite 'adequate'.

After reaching his office, Snape bade Harry to sit down in his usual brusque manner, and sat down facing him. "Professor Dumbledore has told me," Snape said. "About you being a Cambion. I am already aware of Granger's true nature. Obviously, I do not advertise it. I presume you now have your Evil Pieces?"

Harry, a little reluctantly, nodded. "Why?"

"I know who will be one of the first you will Reincarnate into a Devil. Your mother. You know she and I used to be friends."

Harry nodded once more. Snape had admitted this, albeit reluctantly, last year. "Do you want to see her when I do that?"

"No. As much as I want to, I had burned my bridges with her," Snape said. "Knowing she is alive and away from _Potter_ ," he spat that name out as a curse, "is enough. I don't want to join your Peerage either, even if by some miracle you wanted me to. I am already beholden to two masters, I don't want to add another. However, Dumbledore wants you to run any students you wish to add to your Peerage by him first. And if you decide to add any Slytherins, I will have the option to forbid it. However, I do have at least one suggestion. Have you ever met Narcissa Malfoy?"

Harry frowned, thinking to the woman who was, in a manner, his adoptive aunt. "A couple of times. The first time I met her was when Andromeda took me for a family outing. Narcissa came to meet us. She was crying, actually, now that I come to think of it, and spoke to Andromeda for a long time. I saw her at the Quidditch World Cup a few weeks back, and she had that look on her like something smelled bad."

"Narcissa isn't happy with her marriage," Snape said bluntly. "I was more friends with Lucius through Narcissa anyway. She loves Draco, but Lucius is trying to turn Draco into his little clone. I am Draco's godfather for Narcissa's sake more than Lucius'."

"Are you implying that I should bring Narcissa Malfoy into my Peerage?"

"Let's just say she will be amenable to the possibility," Snape said. After a moment's pause, he said, "It would be too much to expect a quiet year this year. But Dumbledore has allowed this Tri-Wizard Tournament to be brought to us."

Harry nodded, thinking back to the announcement at the beginning of the year, and the cancellation of Quidditch. "Hopefully, it'll be the sort of excitement people would like, though then again…what's the odds that braindead idiot Bagman organised this?"

"Nobody would take that bet," Snape retorted. "I'd be more willing to bet on who is selected as our Champion. Apparently only students over 17 are chosen."

"Well, the Weasley Twins will want to try, but I'd say either Angelina Johnson or Cedric Diggory, myself," Harry said.

"Hmm. Johnson or Diggory would certainly be adequate," Snape conceded grudgingly. After a moment, he said, "I have said my peace. Now out with you. And I expect a better essay on the Calming Draught than I did with your essay on antidotes!"

The sharp rebuke made it clear that this meeting was at an end, and Harry nodded, standing to leave. But as he reached the door, he suddenly heard Snape say, "Tonks!" When he looked back, he saw Snape looking grim. "The Dark Mark is getting darker. You know what that means."

Harry tried not to gape in shock, but instead, returned a grim nod. It meant that Voldemort was gathering strength, preparing to return. Another bloody complication to add to this mess…

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Rias and Harry have been having discussions.**

 **Now, Snape here is not Harry's friend. Harry is too painful a reminder of Lily being unfaithful for Snape to think otherwise. But the two have an accord of sorts, a détente. Especially as they have a common goal. Dumbledore was told about Harry's status by Hermione, and he, in turn, told Snape. Snape will be…well, he will be an ally to Harry, but not a friendly one. He's very like Kerr Avon from** ** _Blake's 7_** **, out for himself.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Rake1810** **: They're assuming it for now, but Harry does have the regenerative ability.**

 **coduss** **: That actually makes a lot of sense. I haven't read that far in that particular work, but I am familiar with it. I'd integrate it here, but unfortunately, Rias and Hermione have basically spurred each other to train.**

 **Wienberg** **: While Harry will use the Boosted Gear physically more often than not, it will also boost his magic. In Chapter 8, which is currently partly-written, he uses the Boosted Gear to basically splatter much of a Stray Devil (though not killing it, partly due to a lack of Boosts, and partly due to something the Stray Devil has done, though it pretty much only needs a coup de grace).**

 **Harmonious Arkos Sloth** **: Issei, as a protagonist, frankly irritates the hell out of me. I don't really like characters who are as overtly perverted as he is, and he only becomes tolerable once some needed character development sets in. I tend to like fanfics more where he is less perverted (** ** _Legend of the Heavenly Dragons, One-Punch DxD: Legacy, Soundless Knight_** **and** ** _Manners Maketh Dragon_** **), though there are some exceptions, like** ** _Reborn as Issei_** **, where he is Jiraiya's incarnation, but in that story, he also has Jiraiya's more complex nature. Or Third Fang's** ** _Go Away I'm Watching Porn_** **, which makes Issei perverted, but also ridiculously apathetic…and apathetic in a way that you don't want him to NOT be apathetic.**

 **Also, Hermione's father's name was, yes, a reference to Dante from** ** _Devil May Cry_** **, but it was also meant to be evocative of Dan, the common fanon name for Hermione's father. It saved me from having to make up a name that resembled Dan, but would end up sounding like something a** ** _chuunibyou_** **would make up.**

 **DalkonCledwin** **: Look, I'm modifying the term cambion for my own ends. Also, the incident with the Polyjuice Potion…well, in the very first chapter, after revealing her true nature, Hermione makes a comment that nekomata do not react well to Polyjuice Potion. As for** ** _Devil May Cry_** **…well, there's over forty crossovers with** ** _High School DxD_** **. I included Irina because I read somewhere that she moved to England for a time after moving away from Japan, and I thought it'd be sweet that she knew Harry: as irritating as her praying is, I actually like her better than Xenovia, at least before Xenovia learned the truth about God. I don't know how she'll appear in the story later, though…**

 **Leicontis** **: I didn't think of it that way, but yeah, that's definitely what happened. Although Serafall has a soft spot for Dan Green.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: Revival

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **REVIVAL**

The lead-up to the coming weekend, when Harry would make his first addition to his Peerage, was unbearable. He wanted to save his mother now. However, there were a few things that needed to be arranged.

Firstly, an alibi. Harry was known to visit Lily more than his half-brother or James Potter. He was also known to be trying to find ways to revive her, at least to the Potters. Even with the false flag operation with the fake Death Eaters, Harry needed an alibi that could be provided by someone James Potter couldn't gainsay. The list was small, as there were few James Potter wouldn't dispute. And there was the problem of Time Turners and Polyjuice Potion.

At the time that Lily was taken from St Mungo's on Friday evening, Harry and Hermione were in the library, under the watchful eye of Madam Pince. The fearsome librarian was infamous for not taking sides. And as luck would have it, Charlie had come in at the time with Neville and Ginny, trying to find DADA books.

Secondly, how to leave Hogwarts without anyone noticing his absence. Especially without it being connected to them. Well, as it happened, Hermione had a solution for that herself: Kuroka. Kuroka, as a nekoshou, was not just an expert in using lifeforce in her abilities, but was an expert at illusions magic. Shirone had, admittedly, been reluctant to use those powers, partly because their former master had attempted to exploit their abilities, and Hermione was still learning, but Kuroka was already an expert, and had used a Pensieve to look over Harry's memories, and Hermione's memories of Harry.

Harry found the encounter with the flirtatious nekomata rather interesting. Unlike the quiet, stoic and reserved Shirone, Kuroka was a shameless flirt who dressed in a kimono or something similar that seemed not far away from a wardrobe malfunction. She revelled in her playful cat-like nature, as opposed to the more dignified Hermione, or the stoic Shirone.

Apparently their mission hadn't gone as well as they had hoped. Kuroka was working with descendants of well-known heroes from myth and legend to investigate something called the Khaos Brigade. Bikou was descended from Sun Wukong or Son Goku, the famous Monkey King of the Chinese story _Journey to the West_ , while Arthur and LeFay Pendragon were descended from their mythical counterparts. Bikou and the Pendragons weren't part of Hermione's Peerage, but they were part of her associates that she and Kuroka had encountered while investigating the Khaos Brigade, who had approached Bikou and the Pendragons before.

From what Hermione told Harry, the Khaos Brigade had formed a few years back, as a loose coalition of disaffected and dispossessed groups within the supernatural world and others. There wasn't much known about them, though rumours claimed that the Old Satan Faction's survivors were members. For now, they had only been causing minor trouble, but given that there were rumours about Sacred Gear wielders being recruited, along with disaffected mages, they were of considerable concern to all.

Come Saturday morning, there was an uproar at the school. Thankfully, Harry wasn't accused of anything, as he was sure that James Potter would have been there first thing in the morning, whatever Aurors he and Sirius could buy off at his back to have him arrested. It seemed that the false flag operation worked, but Harry couldn't rest on his laurels. After breakfast, he and Hermione made their way to the Room of Requirement, where Kuroka had been staying the night…

* * *

They opened the door to what could only be called an opulent boudoir. And Kuroka was lying on her front on a four-poster bed with see-through drapes, dressed in nothing, her golden eyes peering at them mischievously. "Oh, is it time already?" she asked, her feline ears poking out through a beautiful mane of black hair.

Harry was blushing furiously, and Hermione facepalmed. "Kuroka, what did I say about teasing people?"

"I don't know. I ignore you when you say such boring things, _nya_ ," Kuroka said, sticking her tongue out playfully. She stood, letting Harry see her naked body for a few seconds that felt like an eternity, before her body was surrounded by a glow, and her usual kimono was in place. "Okay, I think I can play at being Harry for a while. Just not for long. The longer I'm in that form, the more likely I'll be caught, _nya_. Anyway, some wizards have means of seeing through illusions."

"We might need to have you avoid Mad-Eye Moody, then," Harry said. "Are you fine pretending to be a guy?"

Kuroka laughed. "Harry, I've pretended to be a lot of people, _nya_. You'll only be gone a couple of hours, I hope…"

* * *

Hermione's home in the Underworld was going to be used as their base, and Rias and her Peerage were present. "Are you ready?" Rias asked.

Harry nodded, plucking out a Queen. He then entered the room where his mother had been taken to, Rias' Peerage pretending to be Death Eaters during the snatch. His breath caught in his throat when he saw his mother, lying in the bed.

True, he had seen her before in this state, but it still made him feel…disgusted by what time and inactivity had done to Lily. Her body was emaciated, kept alive only by nutrient potions. Her skin was dry and papery, her eyes sunken in a face that was now more like a skull, her hair matted. She'd need quite a bit of rehabilitation to get back to normal, though Devil magic could help.

He walked over to her, the sheer enormity of what he was about to do weighing down on him. But he had wanted to do this for years. Hopefully, his mother would forgive him.

He pressed the Queen piece to her chest, and began to recite the ritual. " _I, Harry Phenex, hereby decree that Lily Evans have her life and consciousness restored to her, to walk the world once more as a Devil in my service. Rejoice, then, in your new life as my_ _ **Queen!**_ "

The chess piece sank into Lily's chest in a flare of light, and her body suddenly convulsed and spasmed, before her eyes flew open, a great gasp emanating from her mouth. She blinked, and then turned her head with an effort to look at Harry. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a dry croak that devolved into a fit of coughing.

Akeno hastened over, taking a glass and a pitcher set near the bed, and filling the glass with water. She gently pressed it to Lily's lips. "Here…drink slowly."

Lily nodded, and carefully sipped the water. Eventually, she drank enough to be able to speak. "…Are you Harry? Or Charlie?"

"It's Harry, Mum," Harry said quietly. "I'm sorry, we had to take you out of St Mungo's, but…"

She nodded. "I…I remember…I heard a voice…your voice…in the darkness." Her eyes widened. "You said something about…making me your Queen?"

"Yes," Rias said, moving forward. "Lily…Potter, or would you prefer Evans?"

The woman scoffed. "Evans…if it weren't for the magical contract, I would have left Potter long ago. Bastard got me married while I was under the influence of Amortentia."

"What?!" Harry hissed in horror and anger, but Rias held up her hand to halt any tirade.

"You have been made your son's Queen, but not in the way Oedipus did," Rias said(1). "Lily…what do you know about Devils and their Peerages?"

* * *

After Harry and Rias took turns at explaining, Lily looked at them both. Eventually, she sighed. "I don't like this whole 'servant' thing…and I can't say I'm happy about becoming a Devil. But…I forgive you, Harry. You did what you could to revive me, and with the best of intentions, so I'm not going to be ungrateful. In truth…I wasn't sure what the ritual I performed shortly before Voldemort's attack would do. I guess it protected my soul from being blasted from my body by the Killing Curse…but it still had side effects. Especially as it channelled my magic into shielding my children. The ritual could have killed me, but…I think your ambient magic as a Cambion, Harry…it protected me as well."

"You knew I was a Cambion?" Harry asked quietly.

"I knew when you were born. Your father…your real father…he comforted me after I had a bad fight with Potter, after I found out about the Amortentia. His name was Riser Phenex. We got to talking, to drinking…one thing led to another…and then, he left later the next morning. I never saw him again, but he did tell me he was a Devil. He even offered me a spot in his Peerage, but I refused."

Rias and Akeno shot each other looks. Either Riser had become nastier as the years went by, or else he just turned on the charm at the time. "So, you kept me anyway?" Harry asked.

Lily smiled painfully. "You're my son, Harry. And I thought that even being a Cambion wouldn't prevent you from being a good person. Humans are capable of evil on their own without help from Devils," Lily rasped. She then closed her eyes. "Actually, there's one reason I am grateful to you for for making me your Queen. I mean, other than being brought out of my coma. Potter…while he had me under the influence of Amortentia…he had me sign a magical contract. If I divorced him, it would have robbed me of my magic and my life, and he threatened my sister if I did it out of spite. Petunia was a bitch, but I didn't want her dead. Remus was looking into ways to dissolve the contract if we ever prevailed against Voldemort."

"I actually went to see Aunt Petunia shortly after my first year ended," Harry said. "Andromeda told me that she was jealous about not being allowed to go to Hogwarts, so I gave her some photos as, well, something. I think she appreciated that, though that husband of hers and their kid…ugh. They're fat bullies, and Dudley's even more spoiled than Charlie, and that's saying something."

"Yes, I remember Vernon," Lily said quietly.

Harry gently touched his mother's cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't give you a choice, Mum. If I could have done it any other way…well, I was desperate."

"I know. I'm not happy with the servitude issue, like I'm a House Elf…but I'm still grateful to you. And if I had been able to give my consent, I would have said yes. I know you wouldn't treat me like a servant…well, beyond how some mothers are to their families," she concluded with a rueful smile.

"The magical contract between you and James Potter will doubtlessly have been dissolved," Rias said. "Magical contracts usually fade out when one of the parties have died, and Reincarnation via Evil Piece does 'kill' the person. The entire body gets reconstructed and reconstituted, and the soul changes. As far as magic is concerned, the human dies long enough for the Devil to take their place. It also heals them enough to be revived."

"Doesn't that mean that Potter will notice that you're dead?" Harry asked.

"If that false flag operation goes off, he'll just think the Death Eaters killed me," Lily said. "I do intend to reveal myself to that bastard, but only once our position is consolidated. How soon can I be back to normal health?"

"We have potions that work best on those with Devil physiologies," Rias said. "Phoenix Tears only work when you're trying to recover from wounds or poisoning, not being in a coma and wasting away. It'll take a few days before you're back to normal."

"I have to wait that long," Lily murmured ruefully.

"As long as it takes," Harry said. "I used my Queen on you because I have faith in you, Mum, and because I wanted to save you. I wanted to study to become a Healer, you know, to find a way to revive you. This just made things easier."

"Maybe. Oh, I have so much to catch up on. Harry, I can trust Remus?"

"He was the only one of the Marauders to care," Harry said. "Black is more focused on sleeping with any girl who takes his fancy. Moony…he visited me whenever he could at the Tonks'."

After a moment, Lily smiled. "I'm glad. Rias…is it possible for you to fetch Remus Lupin, to help me catch up?"

"Of course. The benefits of having a Devil King as a brother is that you do get to bend the rules occasionally so he can be allowed in the Underworld," Rias said with a smirk. "We'll have to figure out a means of allowing you two to communicate, though. Other than visits. Harry'll only be able to visit on weekends, and even that will eat into your OWLs studying. And I want to spend time with Harry too."

"Maybe a communications mirror," Lily rasped. "The Marauders used to use them a lot. Or a magically-linked diary."

"A diary may be better," Rias mused. "Easier to conceal, and I know where to get them here."

"Just better avoid Charlie or Ron seeing it, or Ginny," Harry mused. On their looks, he said, "Long story short, apparently Ginny got possessed by what could have been part of Voldemort in an old diary of his."

Rias nodded thoughtfully. "And that was destroyed?"

"Charlie used a Basilisk fang," Harry said. "Why?"

"It's something we'll discuss later," Rias said. "Let's just say there's a few things we need to discuss about Voldemort…"

* * *

Harry, reluctantly, made his farewell with his mother soon afterwards, and made it back to Hogwarts, using his Phenex teleportation circle to get into the Room of Requirement. Hermione had apparently set things up so that she would be notified when he got back in, so she turned up with a disguised Kuroka in tow a few minutes later. The relief on their faces when Harry told them the good news was a sight to behold. As Kuroka changed back to her usual self, she complained to Harry, "I couldn't even flirt while looking like you, _nya_. You didn't do flirting."

"Harry tries to be a gentleman, Kuroka, or at least he just broods," Hermione said.

"I brood?" Harry asked, raising a wry eyebrow. Looking at Kuroka, he asked, "Did you enjoy your little trip here?"

"It was okay," Kuroka shrugged. "I've been here before in secret with Hermione, the novelty's worn off, _nya_. Left that blonde idiot with more hair gel than brain cells a rather nasty surprise. He'll start singing _Never Gonna Give You Up_ in the Great Hall around dinner time. I hope you enjoy that, _nya_."

Harry blinked, before he said, "Why that song?"

"Luna suggested it," Hermione said with a shrug. "Apparently she wants to do something called 'Rick-Rolling' before it takes off in the future. She claims to be a seer or something. Personally, I think that she messes with us, seer or not."

"Can't be any worse than Trelawney," Harry snarked. "And yes, I think Luna does mess with other people."

"All the best people do. They just know when to toe the line," Kuroka remarked.

Hermione then said, "Harry, I know you said your mother is up, but…is she fine with being your Queen?"

"More than fine," Harry said. "She's here now. She's alive, and free from Potter. Okay, she's bound to me, but I don't expect her to be my servant…just my mother and ally."

Hermione nodded. "And that's great, Harry. So, shall we go before we're missed?"

"Yes."

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's made Lily his Queen. I actually rewrote this chapter a little, so that Lily was a little less agreeable about becoming a Devil. Oh, she's fine with being out of her coma, but she also knows that Devils have a lot of enemies, and she's also irritated with the whole indentured servitude bit. She's giving Harry a pass because, well, he's her son, and he's not trying to exploit her, but still…**

 **Review-answering time!** **Tenzo51** **: While Lily has no real secret past per se, she was a creative combatant in battle.**

 **The Wandering Soul of 1014** **: I'm afraid I have little interest in** ** _Sword Art Online_** **, though I intend to read the first light novel before long. Should it grab my interest, I'll look into that story.**

 **1\. Rias, of course, is referring to the Greek myth of Oedipus, where the hero (unknowingly) kills his father and marries his mother. It's the namesake of Freud's concept of the Oedipus Complex.**


	8. Chapter 7: Lupin, Lily and Ddraig

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **LUPIN, LILY, AND DDRAIG**

It pained Remus Lupin to see Lily like this, so wasted, and yet conscious once more. She had questioned him, shortly after he was brought here (and brought up to speed), about what had happened in Harry's life. He knew that, if she was feeling any better, she'd be hunting down Prongs and Padfoot to give them some much-needed payback.

It was strange to learn that Harry was a Cambion, and that he was potentially engaged to a Devil who was almost a princess, Rias Gremory. Aside from her ridiculously buxom figure and hair an even deeper shade of red than he'd ever seen, there was little to suggest she was anything but human. Of course, to any wizard who had any substantial knowledge of Devils, the name 'Gremory' was a noteworthy one. Even Muggles knew of them, or at least those who studied demonology: the 72 Demons from the _Ars Goetia_ book of the grimoire _The Lesser Key of Solomon_ were actually names of prominent Devil families.

"So, he was telling the truth," Lily said, sagging back in her bed, closing her eyes. "I mean, not that I truly thought he was lying about Charlie, but…I hoped he was just exaggerating a little. I have no problem believing Potter would have disowned him. And Sirius…I thought him better."

"Pettigrew's betrayal changed him, Lily," Remus said. "I mean, there were parts of him that were always rotten, like that time he nearly had me savage Snape, but…I just think he cares for nothing but sleeping around and spoiling Charlie. He and James seem to think that they can only trust each other, and basically put themselves forward as the scions of the Light. Dumbledore encouraged it for a time, but when he heard about Harry being disowned…"

"Dumbledore is an old meddler," Lily rasped. "But…I hope he's helping Harry."

"Dumbledore understands Harry's true nature and accepts it," Rias declared. "Leader of the Light he may be, but he's also willing to treat with beings most would label dark, as long as they meet his own personal standards. Hermione and I, along with our Peerages, appear to meet them."

Lily nodded. She had spent the last couple of days getting acquainted with her potential daughter-in-law. It seemed that the joke about Potters preferring redheads could hold true…though Rias stated, rather scandalously, of sharing with Hermione at the bare minimum.

Remus cleared his throat. "Speaking of which…you claimed, Miss Gremory, that Harry expressed interest in my joining his Peerage?"

"Yes," the redhaired Devil said. "Keep in mind, though, it's wholly up to you, as far as Harry is concerned."

"…Can I think about it? It's a big decision, and even if I say no, I intend to stay by Harry's side, no matter what," Remus said.

"Of course," Rias said. "You can act as Harry's Pact Magician, actually, if you want. That gives you some of the same protection as a member of Harry's Peerage, but without having to become a Devil. And you wouldn't be expected to fight for him in Rating Games. Also, if you do become a Devil, it may allow for better control over your transformations. I can't promise that, though."

Remus nodded. "As I said, I'll think about it. I mean, I want to help him if things end up going badly with this Riser Phenex you mentioned, but…I've spent all my life fighting the monster within. In a way, this feels like giving up the fight."

Akeno, who was nearby, gently laid a hand on top of his own. Her usual flirtatious or serene smiles was replaced by a sad, rueful one. "I understand," she said. "I…have issues with my own heritage, Professor Lupin. It was that heritage that led to my mother being murdered by my relatives, who are as bad as your British Purebloods, while my father…he didn't come to save us. I don't think I will ever forgive him for that. But…at least part of my heritage I do use, the magic granted by my father's bloodline. Of course, your condition is more like a disease, one with no real cure…but if you could control your transformations, control yourself while transformed…would that be worth it?"

"…Maybe. But there's no guarantee, is there?" Remus said quietly. "And I'm sorry for your loss, Miss Himejima. Your family…they come from a long line of shrine workers and Shinto exorcists, aren't they? I knew the name sounded familiar. I think I had a run-in with them in Japan while I was doing research on youkai for my DADA Mastery."

"I'm hardly surprised," Akeno said bitterly.

"Youkai…did you do any work in Kyoto?" Rias asked.

"Indeed. It took me some time to be trusted by the youkai present, though, and understandably so. I did make the acquaintance of that lovely kitsune who led them, Yasaka I believe. Unfortunately, I had to leave because even some of the youkai were afraid of both a werewolf and a wizard being present. They haven't had the best relationships with Japanese wizards, or wizards in general."

"Hardly surprising," Shirone said. "They tried to conscript us into fighting for them during the Second World War, instead of trying to protect our homes and the other humans from bombing. And Grindlewald also tried kidnapping us en masse to use as his own soldiers while he was trying to get an alliance with the more radical Japanese mages. Not that he was Japanese, but you understand why relations between youkai and wizards are more than a little strained."

"Same old superiority complex of wizards in action, all across the world," Lily muttered. "Makes me wonder why I bothered coming to Hogwarts in the first place."

"Not that many Devils are any different," Rias said. "Or the Fallen. I'd say some normal Angels have a superiority complex, but they say pride comes before the fall, and certainly pride is one of the things that can make an Angel Fall." She giggled a little at her own joke.

"Changing the subject somewhat," Remus said, "what about Voldemort? You seemed to indicate that he may be coming back. I know, thanks to Dumbledore, that he was possessing Quirinius Quirrell before, so he's still alive. And there was what happened at the Quidditch World Cup. Even if Harry isn't the Boy Who Lived, I doubt Voldemort would leave him alone."

"We're working on that," Rias said. "I'm going to discuss this with Harry when he next comes to the Underworld, but we've learned that, in all likelihood, Voldemort has used Horcruxes to stay on this plane."

Remus frowned. "You know of those?" Kiba asked.

"Only by rumour, and in the broadest terms. Soul anchors, phylacteries where you place part of your soul to prevent your soul from moving on after a fatal injury," Remus said. "Herpo the Foul is said to be the first to create them. I don't know much more about them than that, and researching them is going to be hard."

"Well, thankfully, we have such tomes," Rias said, "but we can save you the trouble. What you just said was correct, but there's more. To create a Horcrux, one must first undertake a ritual that is, frankly, so vile, even most Devils wouldn't consider doing it. Then, you kill someone in cold blood, bifurcating the soul. Horcruxes are also extremely hard to destroy. Basilisk venom and Fiendfyre are the two best-known reliable methods, as the Horcruxes need to be destroyed beyond repair. We think one has been destroyed already, and we found another…within Harry's scar." Before Remus could panic, Rias said, "It was removed safely when the bindings on Harry's Devil abilities were removed, and confined. Lord Ajuka Beelzebub is currently studying it. I've also had Hermione using a spell to check on Charlie. No Horcrux exists within him, she believes."

"But how did Harry become a Horcrux?" Remus asked in disbelief. "I don't think Voldemort would make one out of someone he was trying to kill."

"We don't think so either," Lily said. "It was probably an accident. He's probably divided his own soul so many times, it's unstable. He probably intended to make a Horcrux after killing Harry or Charlie. There was a prophecy, according to Dumbledore, that one of my children would have the power to vanquish Voldemort for once and for all. Admittedly, it was uttered by that dipsomaniac Trelawney, but apparently the full prophecy was genuine enough to be sent to the Department of Mysteries. And Voldemort feared it enough to try and kill one of my children."

"Merlin…all this over a prophecy?" Remus demanded.

"I agree," Rias huffed. "Amongst serious scholars of them amongst my people, prophecies are loathed. Partly because those who try to prevent them from coming about only serve to enact them. And now, Harry is a target. And if he really is the Boy Who Lived instead of Charles Potter, then it means he needs to be the one to kill Voldemort."

"So, you think Dumbledore chose the wrong Boy Who Lived?" Remus asked.

"Yes. Not out of any malice, just a mistake," Rias said. "The prophecy has a line saying 'he will mark them as his equal'. Charles, as you know, has two parallel scars that look like an equals sign, whereas Harry has the lightning bolt scar. But the prophecy also has a line about 'the power he knows not', that is, the power Voldemort knows not. We think it may be Harry's Phenex abilities. Of course, the prophecy's wording is so damned ambiguous, it could mean even technology."

"Dumbledore will doubtless say it's something like 'love'," Lily said. "He was overly fond of that sentimental stuff. Don't get me wrong, love is a powerful force. It was that that drove me to protect Harry and Charlie the way I did…but I'd prefer something a little more concrete and less esoteric."

"It could also mean his Sacred Gear," Rias pointed out. "Sacred Gears aren't that well known, even amongst learned wizards. And let's face it, even at his current level, a single good hit from the Boosted Gear, Boosted to Harry's current limits, would probably turn Voldemort into giblets. Whether that'd help with the Horcruxes, though, is another matter…"

* * *

" ** _BOOST!_** "

Once more, the stentorian voice roared out as Harry, Kuroka and Hermione fought in the Room of Requirement. They couldn't go too far within the Room of Requirement, as it wasn't built to withstand fights from the strongest of mages, never mind Devils. But it was adequate for sparring when he couldn't get into the Underworld.

He'd discovered that he truly did have the Phenex regeneration ability when one of Hermione's attacks hit his left hand by accident, destroying it. The pain was blinding, but still, it was nothing compared to his astonishment when the stump belched flames, from which a new hand grew.

Despite his power, though, Kuroka had an advantage. Her abilities allowed her to have an advantage during these sessions, and soon, she managed to fling him into a wall, causing cracks to appear. "My win, _nya!_ " she crowed.

"Ow," Harry muttered as he sagged off the wall. "I thought you were supposed to go easy on me, Kuroka, at least in this place."

"That was easy, Harry," Kuroka said. "Keep in mind, when you're Boosting, your strength increases. So, I have to fight accordingly, _nya_."

" ** _Reset_** ," the voice from the Boosted Gear intoned, and the power left him.

"Still, we're making progress," Hermione said, her cat ears and a tail showing. "You're not quite at the level at which you can use the Balance Breaker of the Sacred Gear, but you're making pretty good progress for someone who's only just learned how to use it."

Harry looked at the crimson gauntlet. Supposedly, all Sacred Gears had a special super mode that could only be reached after much training. This was called a 'Balance Breaker'. Supposedly, if he reached that, he would gain what was effectively flying armour, powerful flying armour. "Didn't you say that I would be able to communicate with Ddraig?"

"I suppose, but it depends on whether Ddraig thinks you're ready. It's best not to prod Dragons," Hermione said with a shrug. "It's in Hogwarts' motto, after all. Incidentally, there are reports of a Stray Devil in the area. While the Centaurs of the Forbidden Forest aren't fond of Devils in general, I have my sources with them. Bane, for all his aggression, agrees to allow me to deal with any his herd cannot. Remember how I told you about Quirrell, how he was drinking unicorn blood when he was possessed by Voldemort? Stray Devils usually eat humans and other sentients, but unicorn blood works best for their power needs. They don't care about the curse. So, with Dumbledore's blessing, you and I will be heading into the Forbidden Forest tonight, with you accompanying my Peerage. Hagrid won't be accompanying us: he doesn't know what we are, but he knows of Devils, and both Dumbledore and Bane have told him that someone will be dealing with the Stray."

Harry grimaced. "Dangerous?"

"Not if you're careful. Harry, none of us will let anything bad happen to you…"

* * *

As he lay back in bed after getting back to the dorms, Harry stared up at the ceiling. There were a few hours to go before he had to rendezvous with Hermione and her Peerage. He felt somewhat fatigued: Kuroka was a hard taskmaster when it came to physical training as much as Hermione was to studying.

Still, Harry had to admit to being disturbed a little by the fact that he drew upon the power of a sentient being to get stronger. And if he could hear Ddraig, what would he think of him?

A strange, rhythmic rumble echoed. **_I'd think that you're certainly not wasting your time_**.

Harry started at the deep, low voice. Eventually, he thought to himself, _Great. Either Kuroka hit me harder than I thought, or I've become a schizophrenic_.

 _…_ _ **I'm not going to dignify that with a response**_ , the voice said. **_If I had a penny for every time one of my hosts thought I was a sign of madness, I'd have enough for a decent hoard. Then again, I'm as surprised as you are that I can talk to you now. My hosts usually manifest the Boosted Gear and get powerful long before they actually can communicate with me_**.

Harry, after a moment, very nearly yelped out loud. Instead, he said, quietly, in his mind, _Ddraig?_

 ** _Indeed. Allow me to introduce myself properly_**. Suddenly, Harry's vision seemed to be clouded by fire, and he was sitting on a vast, dark plain. Facing him on this plain was a massive, but magnificent-looking red dragon, its baleful eyes nonetheless peering down at him with intelligence.

 ** _I am Y Ddraig Goch, the Welsh Red Dragon, one of the two Heavenly Dragons!_** the dragon…no, _Dragon_ announced. **_My spirit and essence resides within the Sacred Gear you bear, the Boosted Gear, after the forces of God and Satan tore me and my rival to shreds and sealed me away. Which means, Harry Phenex, that you are now my new host, the Red Dragon Emperor!_**

After a moment, Harry muttered, "Great. I've got a Dragon sealed within me, and he's got a flair for the dramatic."

The Dragon chuckled, as the vision dissolved, and he was back in the dorms. **_Many Dragons have a flair for the dramatic. If you wish to address me, do so as Ddraig_**. Harry noticed that the green gem on the gauntlet pulsed with each syllable of Ddraig's speech, like the lights on a Dalek.

"Okay, Ddraig. So…you're the power behind this Sacred Gear. What's the catch?" he asked quietly, trying to avoid drawing attention from his dormmates.

 ** _Hmph. Cautious, aren't you? Then again, given your life, I can't blame you. I was an impotent voyeur during that time. There are some elements of the Boosted Gear's power you would do well to avoid, like the Juggernaut Drive, but you won't need to worry about that for now. There is no other catch. As long as we have a cordial relationship, you may access my power whenever you need it_**.

"That sounds like a 'too good to be true' thing," Harry said.

 ** _Your caution is commendable, but the Boosted Gear is yours to command_** , Ddraig said. **_In any case, you don't have long until Hermione needs your presence at the Forbidden Forest. I will aid you. A Stray Devil, while usually a weak foe, is still not to be taken lightly_** …

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Lily and Remus have been speaking, and Harry's finally spoken to Ddraig. Some of the dialogue from Harry's first discussion with Ddraig may be familiar to those who read the second chapter of** ** _Hermione Bael_** **archived in** ** _The Cauldron_** **. It's actually fun writing for a character Christopher Sabat has played, really. Well, most of them. Vegeta, Ddraig, Armstrong…**

 **Review-answering time!** **Jostanos** **: Remus and Narcissa, along with the Weasley Twins, will definitely be part of the Peerage. And the Weasley Twins will definitely be Rooks. Apart from that, I dunno.**

 **comodo50** **: True, but she has qualms about the whole servitude thing. I thought that better than her simply accepting matters.**

 **A-Aron002** **and** **T-B-R** **: He was dark brown-haired (Lily placed a glamour on him), and favoured Lily's looks more than James, but still needed glasses. He could look somewhat like canon Harry.**

 **Leicontis** **: Actually, nowadays, when I write, I try to write at least the first 6-8 chapters (and sometimes, even more) before I start publishing. I just haven't published this chapter (despite it being written at the time I published** ** _Cambion_** **) simply because I wanted the dust to settle a little before I posted this one. The eighth chapter, while not actually finished yet, is mostly done, involving the hunt for the Stray Devil. As for your complaint, I know, right? I think part of the problem is people having auto-correct on some of their devices that they use to write these stories: earlier today (as of publishing this chapter), I left a review on Jean11089's newly-begun** ** _Avengers_** **story** ** _Dreams and Wonders_** **(which I recommend, BTW) about them using '** ** _on the lamb_** **' instead of '** ** _on the_** ** _lam_** **', and apparently auto-correct was to blame. sakurademonalchemist had a similar problem with her device auto-correcting '** ** _in-vitro fertilisation_** **' to '** ** _in-_** ** _vitriol_** ** _fertilisation_** **', and considering that vitriol is another name for sulfuric acid…yeah. Auto-correct is very much a double-edged sword.**

 **davidteague3950** **: I pretty much did that with Hermione for** ** _Fall to Zenith_** **. But yeah, that would be cool.**

 **KrisB-71854** **: I won't be reforming Riser until he gets his arse kicked, but after that point, I may do so.**

 **Guest (regarding SPEW)** **: In my second, unpublished iteration of** ** _Hermione Bael_** **, which eventually transmuted into this story, Hermione actually did form SPEW, albeit as a distraction from her own nature and Peerage. In truth, she was well aware, as she is in this story, of House Elves having a symbiotic relationship (yes, I know that's fanon, but it's fanon that is my own personal headcanon), and in this story, she hasn't formed SPEW.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	9. Chapter 8: The Stray Devil

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **THE STRAY DEVIL**

While Harry had met the other members of Hermione's Peerage before, this was his first time meeting them all assembled together, at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Kuroka, as usual, was in her habitual kimono, seemingly uncaring about the cold weather.

Her first Knight, oddly enough, was Luna. Hermione chose this attribute for Luna for the same reason as Harry decided to use a Queen piece for his mother: Luna often used Apparition in combat, frequently teleporting to confusing angles to attack her foes. Speed helped her get in and out of combat quickly.

The other Knight, oddly, was Blaise Zabini. The dark-skinned Slytherin was not someone Harry was well-acquainted with, but he nodded courteously to Harry when he arrived. Unlike Luna, he actually wielded a sword, though he had a wand in his other hand.

Hermione's Bishop was Daphne Greengrass, the blonde Slytherin infamously known as the Ice Queen. That being said, Harry was on good terms with her, and she smiled. "Harry," she said.

Harry nodded back. "Daphne. Hermione, is this enough to deal with a Stray?"

"Kuroka can finish them off quickly if necessary," Hermione said. "But my Peerage needs field experience."

"Okay, but…I didn't know Blaise knew how to use a sword."

"My family trains in a number of weapons," Blaise said. "It would be stupid to rely on just magic in battle. We were descended from a family of Stray Exorcists who had been exiled from the Vatican by Pope Julius II after the death of Alexander VI, better known as Rodrigo Borgia. So, Tonks…or should that be Phenex? I didn't expect the latest Red Dragon Emperor to be in our school, though I suppose it's hardly surprising that they're a Gryffindor."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Okay, we need to get down to business. The Stray, according to descriptions given by Bane, and comparing them to known AWOL servants, appears to be Mord, the former Rook of the late Dartnel Naberius. No known Sacred Gears, but was able to surprise his King and kill him. Most of the Peerage willingly went to other Devils."

"…And we're going after him, why?" Harry asked.

"Rooks are generally meant for sheer strength and defence, not agility, and Dartnel Naberius was not known for his power anyway," Hermione said. "Kuroka is easily the most powerful of us, but I have been training my Peerage, and we emphasise agility in our attacks. Once we get close, summon the Boosted Gear and start increasing your power to its limit. If you can attack to any degree with safety, do so."

Kuroka, who had been peering around the forest, eventually pointed. "I think he's there. There's a massive corrupting power in that direction."

"Then let's go…"

* * *

They soon picked up a more blatant trail than Kuroka's ability to sense lifeforce. Harry had managed to miss out on the infamous wounded unicorn hunt that his brother got roped into as a detention, but he remembered what Hermione said about silvery blood. It shone in the moonlight, like glowing mercury.

Suddenly, Kuroka halted. "He's here," she whispered.

Hermione nodded, and made a couple of gestures. Luna, Blaise and Daphne readied their weapons. Harry took that as his cue to summon the Boosted Gear, and felt the by-now familiar surge of his first Boost.

They advanced cautiously into a clearing, and saw something out of a horror film. A unicorn was dismembered, body parts scattered all over. And in the middle of the clearing, his mouth smeared with silvery blood, was a tall, hulking man with a bald head. Scars and open sores littered every square inch of his body, and he wasn't even wearing a stitch of clothing. He was chewing into the ragged neck of the unicorn's head he held in his hands, the beautiful creature reduced to ragged lumps of silvery, glistening meat.

Hermione then made another gesture, and held out her hand. A by-now familiar orb of dark energy surrounded by crimson flecks appeared: the Bael Power of Destruction. The hereditary magic of the Bael family and, thanks to Venelana Bael's marriage to Zeoticus Gremory, the magic of the Gremory family as well.

As the orb shot out, some instinct warned Mord, and he dodged with a roar. He looked up to them, and snarled. "Some brats playing at being Devils…I wonder how good you'll taste…"

Hermione gestured for the others to move away. "Mord, surrender, and I will make your execution painless."

Mord roared with laughter. "I don't think so, girl! I'm gonna rape you, eat you, **_and KILL YOU!_** " As his voice distorted into a monstrous howl, his body distorted with it, darkening in colour, bone poking through it. At the end of the nightmarish transformation, that seemed to be over in the blink of an eye, he had changed.

What he had changed into appeared to be a parody of a man riding a horse, but both the horse and the man had their heads covered by bone-like masks, through which their eyes glowed. Their bodies were otherwise composed of what looked like smoky shadow, through which bone poked out in certain areas, like the ribs. On further examination, it was as if a demon had their legs cut off at the waist, and joined onto the back of a diabolical steed. A single horn protruded from the horse's head, a travesty of a unicorn(1).

They had only enough time to start moving when Mord moved, and Harry and Hermione needed to dive out of the way. Mord was fast, and the arms of the humanoid part of its new body snapped out, stretching out to bat Daphne away as she fired spells at it. Luna and Blaise, however, were not idle, vanishing from sight and raining spellfire on Mord from above and the side, with Blaise taking off an arm with a slash of his sword. And then, Kuroka and Hermione joined in, as did a recovered Daphne. So too did Harry, using Cutting Curses and Incendios, waiting for the Boosted Gear to charge up. Despite the beast's agility, it was hemmed in by trees and its opponents.

Blaise managed to cut the head off the horse, and was promptly slammed into a tree for his troubles. Harry, with a snarl, rushed over to Mord and smashed it in the torso with the Boosted Gear, causing the deformed Stray Devil to slam through several trees, guts spraying everywhere.

It tried to get up, guts hanging from the massive hole in its body, and it began to regenerate, silvery liquid oozing from the surrounding flesh to rebuild it. " ** _Yes…I am invincible_** …" Mord snarled, panting.

"Dodge this," Hermione said, before unleashing a massive blast of the Power of Destruction. With a roar of pain, the Stray Devil was annihilated in a flare of dark light. "Kuroka?" she asked.

"I can't sense his lifeforce," Kuroka said. "If he isn't dead, then he had more tricks than we thought, _nya_."

Hermione nodded, and then went over to Blaise, Daphne, and Luna. She grimaced when she saw Blaise clutching his side, and Daphne currently healing a gash on her arm. "Seems like we have more training to do, guys. Still, good work."

Blaise winced as he took a potion vial from his robes and drank it. "He was fast for a former Rook with his hits. Our usage of Apparition and unusual angles of attack didn't work to confuse him as much as the last one did. And that rapid regeneration…unicorn's blood?"

Luna nodded. "Yes. Unicorn blood interacts in different ways with different biologies. It might even change from Devil to Devil."

"What do we do to the unicorn?" Harry asked.

"We'll send word to the Centaurs," Hermione said. "They have special rites for dealing with unicorns that have been slain. In all likelihood, they're on their way as we speak. That battle wasn't exactly quiet."

"And you and Rias do this sort of thing all the time?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Not exactly. That was only my third Stray Devil hunt," Hermione said. "The previous ones were easier. Keep in mind, Harry, while my Power of Destruction is, well, powerful, it lacks finesse. While I'm improving my control over it, it's hard to get it to work in a battle situation, so it's better as a coup de grace unless I'm using weaker attacks. Also, most wizarding spells won't work so well on a Devil, Stray or not. Incarcerous, for example, they could easily break free from, as they're meant to be used on humans, and even overpowering them can only do so little. The Killing Curse won't kill a Devil instantly, it takes multiple hits to kill them."

"Then my mother…she shouldn't have used the ritual…"

"No, Harry. I meant Devils in general. Weaker Devils, including infants, would probably die instantly." Hermione sighed quietly. "But after a certain age, the Killing Curse doesn't kill Devils instantly. It's dependent on their power."

"Is there a reason for that?" Harry asked.

"There are claims that the original Unforgivables were given to wizards by Devils," Hermione said. "And they were engineered to prevent Devils from being killed instantly. I don't believe that. It's certainly one of the things I want to find out the truth about…" She looked over at Harry. "This is what we do, Harry. Many of our duties are in deadly earnest. Someday, you will have to lead your own Peerage to fight against a Stray Devil as part of your responsibilities. Some Strays are amenable to mercy, but most…have little to lose. Kuroka very nearly became a Stray thanks to the actions of her former King, and only her seeking sanctuary with my parents, and accepting becoming my Queen, saved her and Shirone. This is a larger and older world than Magical Britain, Harry. Rias and I intend to be a force for change, trying to modernise Devil society, and maybe I can do the same for Magical Britain. But it's slow going."

"And you want me to help?"

Hermione nodded. "Harry…one of the reasons I wanted you to marry Rias was not just for her sake…but your own. You've had to live in the shadow of Charlie, not to mention what James Potter did when he disowned you. If it came to a fight against Riser…I know you'd win. You took on a troll for me. You have something that Charlie and James, not to mention Riser, do not. Well, many things…but you have determination. Conviction. I really should have broken it to you more gently, but I hoped it would be some good news for you in some way."

"I haven't wholly agreed to be married to Rias, Hermione. I'm still getting to know her." And then, Harry smiled. "But I'm your friend, and Rias answered a question I had wanted answered for years. Besides…if Riser really gave a crap about my mother, then where was he when she fell to Voldemort? Why didn't he take her away from Potter?"

"I don't know," Hermione said. "You'd have to ask him yourself." But then, she suddenly tensed, and whirled to stare up at a branch of a nearby tree. Harry looked in the same direction, and was surprised to see someone standing there.

They appeared to be a young woman in her twenties, with dark hair and violet eyes. Her buxom form was clad in a rather indecent looking outfit of latex and leather that seemed to show more than it concealed, barely covering the nipples and the groin. Her face was beautiful, but it was a cruel beauty. A pair of dark wings protruded from her back.

"Well, well, well…I come here to destroy a Stray Devil, and I stumble across your little Peerage, Hermione Bael," the woman said, her voice a sultry purr.

"Raynare…what are you doing here?" Hermione demanded.

"Like I said, I was here to destroy a Stray. And before you get all huffy, I checked with Lord Azazel. Hogwarts is not territory agreed to be under the purview of the Baels, or indeed any Devils. It is technically neutral ground, as well you know, given that it is a prominent magic school. As long as no action is taken to violate the ceasefire, I can come here if I want." Raynare hopped off the branch, and onto the ground. "So, I'm not going to be violating the ceasefire any time soon. Besides, you're in the company of the Brat Who Lived's brother…not that I believe that spoilt brat deserved such a title. But this one…hmm, so you're the newest Red Dragon Emperor. And a Cambion, too." The buxom young woman, clearly a Fallen Angel, was scrutinising Harry.

"…And who are you?" Harry asked.

"Raynare. My, you're a cute one. If you were a few years older, I'd certainly ask you out, Cambion or not," Raynare said, before tapping the gauntlet. "The Boosted Gear. You'll be one to watch. But did they tell you about the rivalry between Ddraig and Albion?"

"Yeah."

Raynare nodded thoughtfully, before she turned to Hermione. "You know Lord Azazel will want to meet him eventually?"

"On my terms, not his, with all due respect to Azazel. And he is due a lot of respect."

"Yes, he has a soft spot for you," Raynare mused. "Very well. A shame I didn't get to kill the Stray. I'll have to find other entertainment tonight. Maybe there's someone in Hogsmeade who'd be fun to seduce. Be seeing you." And with that, she shot into the air, leaving a flurry of black feathers in her wake.

Hermione let out a sigh. "…That could have gone bad. Neutral territory or not, some Fallen jump the gun."

"You know her?" Harry asked.

"We've met on occasion. Raynare's the head of her particular Fallen cell. The first time, I was meeting Azazel, the leader of the Grigori. It was while he was visiting Sirzechs to clear up an incident with one of the more zealous Fallen, and I was dragged in by Rias. Azazel had Raynare as an escort. She's not pleasant, but she knows the rules. And I am actually powerful enough to take her on. A Fallen with two wings would be little problem for me. The more wings they have, the more powerful they are."

"And what was that business about Azazel wanting to meet me?"

"He's obsessed with Sacred Gears. Don't worry, he's a nice guy, but he's got a bit of a mad scientist thing going." Hermione shook her head. "Let's head back now. We've done what we needed to do. If the Centaurs are nearby, we'll let them know here and now…"

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry about the wait for the eighth chapter. I'd been mostly finished with this, but after the mixed response in general to this story, I became a bit disheartened, and it may be a while longer before I get to writing more of it. I'm sorry for those of you that actually like the story, I really am. It's the people who criticise my story choices and make me second guess myself that kill stories almost as much as lack of motivation.**

 **Still, better late than never, right?**

 **The addition of Raynare was a late one. I wanted to bump up the wordcount, and as Hermione and Raynare were on good terms in my original attempts at the Hermione Bael story, I decided to allude to that somewhat with their frenemy relationship here.**

 **Also, I've actually posted a challenge (not a story, a challenge) in the forums of DZ2 and whitetigerwolf, for anyone to take up. Inspired partly by an excellent** ** _High School DxD_** **story by Ryushinchi called** ** _Manners Maketh Dragon_** **, it's a crossover with** ** _JoJo's Bizarre Adventure_** **, where Jonathan Joestar is reincarnated as Issei Hyoudou. It's called 'Issei Joestar'.**

 **Review-answering time!** **comodo50** **: That's…a good question, but given that Phenex regeneration is based on stamina (it's finite), well, I guess the Juggernaut Drive would still hamper lifespan.**

 **coduss** **: They've already discussed that earlier, back in Chapter 4.**

 **LoamyCoffee** **: It's possible. Wouldn't that be adorable?**

 **Leicontis** **: They're Beaters in Quidditch. Physical attacks are already their forte, taking damage and dishing it out. And the Power of Destruction would be overkill against a Horcrux.**

 **Guest** **(regarding turning one of the Delacours into part of Harry's Peerage): I'll consider that.**

 **Oh-Poor-Me** **: Why bash Sirius and not Remus? I'll admit, Remus deserves a boot up the arse for what he did to Tonks in Book 7, but his actions prior to that can be explained away. But Sirius basically attempted murder by proxy, using Remus to try and kill Snape. Plus, he was a bully, as was James.**

 **dialNforNinja** **: Writing a harem properly is actually rather difficult, I'll admit, and I can't ever be sure whether I do it right. You have to have those in the relationship be willing in the first place, after all. At least in some franchises like** ** _High School DxD_** **or** ** _Sekirei_** **, you have some small in-universe justification. When writing outside a monogamous pairing, generally threeway relationships are easier to manage. I think that's partly why Lunar Harmony stories are popular, although that's also because Harry, Hermione and Luna form part of a classic Freudian trio. I actually despise anime heroes who seek a harem, or at least are obnoxious about it (Bell from** ** _DanMachi_** **is all right, because he's rather sweet despite his aspirations).**

 **MeddlesomeGuy** **: If you paid attention to Chapter 6, you'll have seen how Lily slept with Riser. And no, Harry is a year older than Charles. But Hermione is nearly a year older than Charles, who would be Harry's canon age. I also shifted forward ages a year, so Charles is 15 instead of 14, Harry is 16, and Hermione is nearly 16.**

 **1\. The monstrous form of Mord was actually based on the Nuckelavee from Volume 4 of** ** _RWBY_** **, albeit with suitable modifications.**


	10. Chapter 9: Offers

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **OFFERS**

It was time for the next weekend visit to the Underworld. Harry was already astonished at how used to this he was, that he was a Devil, or at least half a one, that he had a powerful weapon bound to his soul (and said weapon had the soul of a ridiculously powerful dragon bound within it), and that God and Angels, Fallen or otherwise, existed. Oh, and many Devils, or at least most of the ones he had met, were pretty much like ordinary people, at least in terms of temperament and morality. In terms of appearance…well, he wasn't sure how Hermione, Rias or Akeno could get so ridiculously beautiful, never mind Grayfia or Serafall.

It wasn't like he wasn't interested in the opposite sex. It was more like he was preoccupied with trying to find ways to cure his mother, and concentrating on his education seemed like the best way. He did have friends, and he had felt attraction to girls, but it was sort of put on the backburner. Besides, his adoptive mother and his big sister had pretty much beaten it into him that he should avoid being a pervert.

Rias had brought along one of her friends, Sona Sitri, who reminded Harry somewhat of a teenaged McGonagall in attitude, rather strict and severe, wearing glasses from behind which violet eyes peered out. She was also surprisingly not as buxom as Rias, Hermione or Akeno, though her features, while stern, were still beautiful, framed by dark hair. Harry was surprised to learn that she was actually the younger sister of Serafall, given the contrasting demeanours and appearances.

"Serafall is rather overly affectionate towards her sister, even more than my brother is towards me," Rias chuckled, while Sona's lips thinned. They were sitting in Hermione's study, the members of the respective Peerages socialising in the living room. "But that's not what we're here for."

"You brought her here to meet me, right?" Harry asked.

Sona nodded. "While I trust Rias and Hermione's judgement, we have been friends for a long time, and I don't want to see either of them getting hurt. Still, I am pleased that you seem to lack the arrogance of Riser or James Potter. Even in Japan's magical community, Potter's arrogance is infamous."

"The only person I consider a father is Ted Tonks," Harry said bluntly. "Or even Remus Lupin. Of course, with all this Devil stuff, I've been having a crash course."

"I'm sure. And I'm glad, in a way, that you are holding off on agreeing to engage her to know her better. Leaving aside both her family and her problems with your biological father, Rias is frequently desired by the students at Kuoh High School, as is Akeno."

"Who wouldn't? Most of the Devils I've seen are rather beautiful. But…well, if she is married off to me, and we don't like each other, what then? I mean, Devils live for centuries if not millennia, right?"

"Right. And divorce laws still follow rather archaic lines in the Underworld," Sona said. "It generally is in favour of the Devil in question with the strongest power and influence, regardless of gender, but it puts at a disadvantage weaker Devils, or at least those yet to grow into their power. Lately, Rating Games have been used to settle such disputes, but not always for the better. They're as much a political tool as they are means of arbitration."

"Which is part of the reason Sona set a condition for her engagement: her paramour must beat her at chess," Rias said with a chuckle.

"…Wow. How good are you?" Harry asked.

"Very," Sona said, a faint smirk twitching at her lips.

"She could very easily beat Ron, and as you know, Ron's one undeniable skill is that he's an excellent chess player," Hermione said. "Sona's definitely at a Master level, and I'm sure she could gain a level of Grandmaster if she wanted to."

"Well, you're safe from me," Harry said with a smile. "I know how the pieces work, and a few of the famous players, and that's it."

"I'm sure we could teach you, if you wanted," Sona said, a smile touching her own lips briefly in return, "but there are other things to discuss."

Hermione nodded, and put a sheet of paper onto the coffee table. "I've drawn up a list of potential candidates for your Peerage, Harry, at least from the student body at Hogwarts. Dumbledore has to be informed, of course, as he doesn't want students turned into Devils against their will. I know you're considering Remus for an Evil Piece."

Harry looked down the list. "The Weasley Twins?" he asked in surprise.

"I've been sending them feelers for a little while. Given their reputation as good Beaters in Quidditch, I thought they'd make good Rooks. A Rook capable of using magic as well as brute strength would be formidable, and they're known for being unpredictable with their pranks."

"They idolise James Potter, though, given that he's one of the Marauders," Harry mused. "Though I think lately, they're beginning to see him for what he is. I don't know many of these names, though. Tracey Davis and Cedric are the only ones I do know, and even then, I only really know Tracey through Daphne. Also, Snape actually asked me whether I would consider Narcissa Malfoy. She's apparently unhappy with her marriage to Lucius Malfoy."

"Hmm, something to consider. Given that she's a Black by birth, she's probably knowledgeable about a lot of obscure spells most other families wouldn't know. Definitely a Bishop. As for Remus…a Bishop or a Knight, as a werewolf might gain a speed boost from the transformation, assuming he's willing to become part of your Peerage."

"And what about Dora?" Harry asked. "I was thinking, if she accepted, either a Bishop or a Pawn."

"Not a Knight?" Rias asked.

Harry shot the redhead an amused look. "My big sister trips over her own shadow. If that happened at the speed of a Knight…she'd probably embed herself in a wall. Besides, she's always wanted to be an Auror, but because a lot of the DMLE thinks the sun shines out of Potter's arse, not to mention Sirius Black's, and the Tonks family angered them both by taking me in…"

"Politics," Rias said, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly. Nepotism and graft is rife in the Ministry," Harry said. "Muggleborns would be lucky to get a low-ranking secretarial position. Halfbloods are generally luckier, but they'd be given shit because of their lineage. And as Potter and Black are considered to be the unofficial leaders of what could be called the Light faction…" He shook his head. "Anyway, these are all hypotheticals. Though I have to ask, is Hogwarts actually neutral ground to the three Factions?"

Hermione explained their encounter with Raynare, and Rias sighed. "That went about as well as it could have gone. As much as I'm not fond of the Fallen, most are content to attack Stray Devils rather than attack Devils outright. Though she is right, Azazel will want to meet you, Harry. Don't worry, he wouldn't dare hurt you. That being said, he shouldn't meet you with Akeno around."

"Akeno?"

"She has rather personal issues with the Fallen. Let's leave it at that," Rias said. "She may tell you one day, but it's her story to tell."

"Hogwarts is indeed considered a neutral ground for the three Factions," Sona said. "The Angels and God do not actually have any issue with magic per se, and in any case, Sacred Gears are magical by their very nature. However, many wizards and witches of ancient times turned to Devils to enhance their power. This is why you have in the Bible that line about not suffering a witch to live. The Church hasn't helped matters, but in truth, the Vatican actually recruits many mages to become their Exorcists. When Hogwarts was established, a treaty was established between the three Factions and the Founders of Hogwarts, along with Merlin, who was a Cambion like you. The upshot is, Hogwarts and its grounds are not to be subject to any attack by any Faction. Of course, fugitives like Stray Devils or Stray Exorcists are exempt, as well as other members of the Factions declared outlaws, like a rogue Fallen."

"What enforces such a neutral zone?" Harry asked.

"The few stupid enough to break it have been punished. This doesn't just apply to Hogwarts, but also the likes of Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, Ilvermorny, Mahoutokoro, etc, though Durmstrang, lately, is in danger of losing its protected status, due to its emphasis on the Dark Arts. The Headmaster is a known Death Eater who only escaped prosecution by selling out his former comrades."

"He's coming to Hogwarts, isn't he?' Harry asked, looking at Hermione. "Aren't delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang coming to Hogwarts for the Tri-Wizard Tournament soon, just before Halloween?"

"Yes. But Karkaroff is a coward, we have nothing to fear from him," Hermione said. "Part of the reason for the treaty is that there was the possibility of Devils, Nephilim, and magical creatures becoming students at Hogwarts, but due to prejudice, that hasn't been the case. Most prefer to learn magic at home, with my insistence on going to Hogwarts being an exception rather than the rule. Many Headmasters have refused to allow Devils or Nephilim admittance."

"Nephilim?" Harry asked.

"The equivalent of a Cambion, only half-Fallen Angel," Rias explained.

"In truth, as far as a magic school is concerned, Hogwarts, while still amongst the best in the world if not Europe, still falls down in many areas. Namely, History, Divination, and Potions," Hermione pointed out. "Potions is pretty self-evident, considering Snape's favouritism towards Slytherins and his exacting standards when he isn't being a bully. History is even more self-evident, but I found out why Binns still teaches. Apparently, if he's removed from tenure, there'll be a curse placed on the school. And Divination…unfortunately, it can't be taught. You have to be a Seer."

"What about DADA, given the curse on the position of teacher?" Harry asked.

"In the years I've been taught, we've only had one truly useless teacher, namely Lockhart," Hermione said. "Quirrell, for all his being a stammering, nervous wreck, managed to teach us, Remus was brilliant, and Mad-Eye Moody…"

"Okay, okay, I got it. Would he know we're Devils, though?"

"I don't know. If he knows, then the fact that he hasn't attacked us means he either doesn't consider us enough of a threat, or else Dumbledore warned him about us. Or rather, my Peerage, along with myself."

"Enough about that," Rias said. "It's past time we socialised. Come on, our Peerages have waited long enough…"

* * *

Harry already knew that Rias and her Peerage comprised the Occult Research Club of Kuoh High School. Sona's Peerage were members of the Student Council of the same school, with her Queen being a rather buxom girl called Tsubaki, every bit as serious as Sona. Lily and Remus were also present, a course of therapy and potions from the Devils allowing her to regain enough muscle mass and bone density to be able to stand and walk without assistance, save for a walking stick. She also looked far less haggard, and indeed, she looked closer to the age she had been when Voldemort attacked, in her early twenties, as opposed to her late thirties as she actually was, or the rather wasted-looking shell she had become in her coma.

Harry, of course, went over to hug her. "You're feeling better now, Mum?"

She smiled, ruffling his hair. "Yes…I'm not running a marathon any time soon, but I'm more than fit enough to fire off some spells. The therapy and potions here are amazing. By Halloween, I should be fit enough to start training as your Queen. Or should that be Queen Mother?"

Harry chuckled, although it was a little forced. "And what about you, Moony?" he asked the haggard werewolf.

"I'm still thinking about it, Harry. At the very least, I will join you as a Pact Magician…but I haven't made the decision to join your Peerage yet. It's a pretty big decision, really."

Harry nodded. As much as he wanted Remus for his Peerage, he didn't want to conscript members against their will. He needed to ask Dora on the quiet. And there was contacting Narcissa Malfoy…maybe he could do that through Andi?

Well, life had certainly gotten more complicated since he found out he was a Cambion. He actually felt sad about a few things. Chief amongst them was Irina. He'd been friends with the tomboyish girl, and to learn that she may have a connection with the Exorcists, and thus jeopardising their friendship, was rather disheartening.

Still…already, he felt that he had gained new friends. Rias' Peerage were very friendly, and already, he felt part of their social circle, even if that was mostly through Hermione. True, he wasn't quite in on the meaningful words and looks when certain subjects were brought up. But over time, maybe he would learn why.

Shortly after his mother and Remus went to talk to Hermione, Akeno walked over to him, her usual demure smile on her face, though it had a touch of ruefulness about it. "Still getting used to this, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"…I'm jealous, you know," Akeno remarked wistfully. "At least you had a chance to save _your_ mother."

"Yeah, you said that when we first met. I'm sorry."

"No…it's fine. Like Lily, she was targeted by those who think blood should be kept pure," she said bitterly. "My family. It's ironic, considering I'm now a Devil, but my mother's family came from a long line of shrine maidens and exorcists, albeit not affiliated with the Church."

"Shinto?"

"Yes. Sorry, I didn't mean to burden you with my troubles."

Harry looked at Akeno, and smiled. "Hey. A friend of Hermione's is a friend of mine. Even if I don't agree to this marriage contract, I'd still want to be friends with you guys."

"Even if you don't agree?" Akeno asked.

"Hey, Rias is a beautiful, smart and loving girl," Harry said hastily, trying to cover up any offence he may have caused. "But…I don't know her that well. Plus, it still means having to face Riser. And what if Rias doesn't like me?"

"…And that's what she likes about you, Harry. She trusts Hermione's judgement, and she trusts her own. Most would jump at a chance to…well, jump into bed with her," Akeno said with a shrug.

"And I'm sure many boys think the same way about you too," Harry said.

"Oh my, you're quite the flatterer," Akeno chortled quietly, placing a hand to the side of her face. "But you don't. Oh, I see the way you look at her, at Hermione…and at me," she added with a playful smirk. "But you're able to keep your libido in check. You actually want to get to know her. Not only that, but you don't care that she's the Gremory Heiress."

"Probably because she's been through something similar to me. Well, not quite. Do you know what I'm generally known as? The Boy Who Lived's big brother. When I first went to Hogwarts, students were pestering me about him, asking what Charles was like, forgetting that James Potter disowned me and cast me out because I wasn't his son. They forgot, even though at the Sorting, McGonagall read out my name as Harry Tonks. And once Charles came to school, most of them ignored me, or gave me grief."

"I get your point," Akeno said softly. "You understand that many people only seem to think in terms of titles, appellations, appearance and prestige. They don't think in terms of the people with them. Still…the titles Rias and I have gained at Kuoh are at least not too bad. We're called the Two Big Sisters or Onee-Samas in Japanese of Kuoh. Kiba is called the Prince of Kuoh, and Shirone the Cute Mascot. Well, she's known to humans as Koneko. Maybe you can find a title you can be proud of. After all, you are the Red Dragon Emperor. That alone is a title to be proud of."

"I didn't earn it," Harry said, looking down at his right arm.

"You will. Just remember…being the Red Dragon Emperor has already made you enemies as well as allies. But…I think you're ready for that, even if only mentally. Now…come on, Rias and Hermione are probably jealous that I'm hogging you all to myself…"

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **I originally intended for this chapter to focus on Harry meeting Azazel, but I thought it was about time for Harry and Sona to meet. Just a nice character-based interlude. I enjoy expanding on the characters of the DxD-verse. While they have character, it's nice to do a story where their…assets aren't the main focus. Because, let's face it,** ** _High School DxD_** **is about fanservice first and foremost.**

 **Review-answering time!** **DaToskin** **: As they say on the internet, U Mad?**

 **Gabriel Herrol** **: Devils can transport within a structure hidden by Fidelius if they have an existing circle, but would find themselves affected, unable to tell where they are (something similar happened to Dobby and Winky in Silently Watches'** ** _Faery Heroes_** **when they were present in the Potter Manor while Harry set up a Fidelius). Also, wizarding magic in general can affect other magical beings, but how much so depends on respective power levels.**

 **Ghul** **: Raynare…wasn't nasty per se, rather, she still has nasty elements (like disdain and contempt towards Devils), but she's willing to be civil. I may have her not be a villain if and when I bring Issei into the picture.**

 **Tsukoblue** **: Because he wants to fuck Rias Gremory, and he wouldn't want his bastard halfbreed son to pip him at the post. Riser Phenex is a dick of the highest order. This is fact.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	11. Chapter 10: Azazel and Ophis

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **AZAZEL AND OPHIS  
**

It was on Saturday evening, by the reckoning of the Underworld, that they received a visitor. Rias had gone home for the day, along with her Peerage, though they had socialised for much of the day, and Hermione's parents were engaged in business elsewhere. But soon after she left, Hermione was told that a certain personage would be coming to meet with them. Azazel, Governor of the Grigori and thus the leader of the Fallen Angels.

Harry wasn't sure what to expect, but he certainly wasn't expecting a rather lean, lazy-looking man with handsome but sardonic features, a scruff of beard on his chin, and dark hair with the fringe becoming blonde. He was dressed in what looked like a kimono. He seemed to have an easy-going, joking air that reminded Harry of Sirius Black, though unlike Black, Azazel didn't put his hackles up.

Hermione, her Peerage, along with Harry, Lily and Remus, escorted Azazel into the living room after the initial greetings. As they did so, he said, "So, you're Harry Tonks. Pleased to meet you."

"You seem to be pretty easy-going for the leader of the Fallen," Lily observed.

"Yeah, well, leaving my quirks aside, if you're going to lead a group like the Grigori, you have to be diplomatic, to deal with either arguments within, or else talking with the movers and shakers in the other Factions. Don't get me wrong, Sirzechs and Serafall, not to mention Ajuka and Falbium, are easy enough to get along with, and Michael and Gabriel are too. But you have hotheads on all sides. You have to be a ' _speak softly, but carry a big stick_ ' kind of guy," Azazel said. "Same goes for when you're dealing with other pantheons and factions, like the various magical creatures. Besides, I like to think I'm an easy-going guy."

"Which is one of the only reasons why my parents would allow you here without their presence," Hermione said. "We wouldn't let the likes of Kokabiel here, for example."

"Not that I blame you. Kokabiel's useful, but…I'm worried about where his thoughts take him lately," Azazel said, before clapping his hands together. "But enough of the depressing shit! Now, the reason I'm here today, admittedly, is rather selfish. You see, one of my many hobbies is researching Sacred Gears of all kinds. So…I'd like to see your Sacred Gear."

Kuroka chuckled. "Wouldn't you want to buy him some dinner first, _nya?_ Plus, he's a bit young for you."

"I don't swing that way," Azazel chuckled, albeit in a somewhat forced manner. He then looked at Harry. "Do you mind?"

"As long as you're not going to do anything weird."

"Define weird. I'm not going to try and vivisect you or anything." Azazel pulled out a device from his robes.

Hermione looked at it flatly. "…Is that meant to be a sonic screwdriver(1)?"

"It's more like a tricorder, but I'm more of a Whovian than a Trekkie. Though I'm more into anime than either. Anyway, I know better than to poke a sleeping dragon too much. This is just a passive scanner."

Harry, after a moment's thought, summoned the Boosted Gear. He noted the presence of Ddraig in his mind. Then, the stentorian voice of the Dragon spoke out loud. " ** _Azazel. It has been a while._** "

"Ah, Ddraig. Yes, it has, hasn't it? It's been…what, the Forties since I last saw one of your hosts in person? I'm surprised you're aware enough to speak."

" ** _My current partner is somewhat unusual. However, it is in terms of his connection to me. His ability to draw on my power is no more developed than most hosts at this stage, so far. But he shows promise. What of you, Governor of the Grigori? Do you have any tidings on the whereabouts of my rival?_** "

"No. Believe it or not, no one Faction knows where every Sacred Gear is, especially the Longinuses. There are rumours, of course, many of them unsavoury ones revolving around the Khaos Brigade," Azazel said, as he used the scanner on the gauntlet. "By the way, Hermione, I got that report on Kuroka, Bikou and the Pendragons' mission. I'm sorry it didn't work out, but better to have you all away from the Khaos Brigade than in it."

Hermione nodded. "Bikou, Arthur and Le Fay are all training in a safe house I provided for them, under the Fidelius. But with the possibility of one of the senior members of the Khaos Brigade possessing the True Longinus…not to mention the rumours around the Old Satan Faction joining them…"

"Yeah. At the moment, what the Khaos Brigade are doing are fleabitings at best, but with those sorts of people and that sort of firepower at their disposal, things will probably change. And you're sure Ophis has nothing to do with it?"

"She originally empowered a number of the members with fragments of her own power…but after meeting Luna, well…"

"Ophi's just lonely," Luna said. "She just didn't realise it."

Azazel scoffed. "I don't know what's more improbable, you making friends with the Ouroborous Dragon God and calling her 'Ophi', or your claim that she's lonely. The way I hear it, she's possessive of her solitude, her 'silence' as it were."

"That was before she discovered pudding," Luna said.

Nobody knew what to say to that. Harry, being only relatively new to the supernatural world (as far as the Biblical Factions were concerned, anyway), was probably missing the point about why Ophis was so feared. True, Sirzechs had explained why, that she was as powerful as, or more so than God. But such a thing was hard to comprehend, especially as Luna had described her as being cute. Then again, considering what Hagrid considered cute, Harry wondered if Luna was of a similar mindset. Harry could feel even Ddraig's bemusement from the Boosted Gear.

Lily asked, to change what seemed to be an uncomfortable subject, "So…Sacred Gears…I was told that there were a lot of types, not just for weapons."

Azazel nodded. "Of course. For example, I know there's a nun in Italy who has Twilight Healing. Nice girl, actually, name of Asia Argento." He pronounced 'Asia' like 'Ah-see-ah' rather than 'Ey-zha'. "The church she lives at pretty much exploits her healing ability. That being said, Twilight Healing heals anything and anyone…even Devils. If the church ever found that little titbit out, she'd be out on her ear, if not condemned as a witch. She's only a year younger than you, actually. Poor kid. And I heard Rias' crossdressing little Bishop Dhampir has one called the Forbidden Balor View, allowing him to stop time. Basically making him Dio Brando if Dio Brando was a crossdresser with self-esteem issues(2)."

"Who's Dio Brando?" Harry asked.

"…Haven't you ever heard of _JoJo's Bizarre Adventure_? Dio Brando? Stands? The World?"

On Harry's confused look at Hermione, a look shared by his mother, the bushy-haired part-Devil shook her head. "I'll get Rias to explain tomorrow. The series is about the trials and tribulations of the British Joestar family and their descendants. Dio Brando is basically an evil vampire who eventually gains the ability to stop time. Rias loves that show, but she's pretty much a Japanophile, as is Azazel. I never got into it that much, it's…well, _bizarre_."

"Any more bizarre than you and I being part-Devil, and we're talking to the leader of the Fallen Angels?" Harry asked pointedly. "Actually, speaking of bizarre things, was Azazel referring to Gasper?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Why do we never see him? Rias said he's skittish and lacks control over his powers. Is that all?"

"Pretty much. You have to understand, though, between Gasper being skittish and his powerful Sacred Gear, he's a danger to himself and others. It doesn't mean you can't meet him one day. He's just skittish towards others. Actually, maybe I can set up a video chat with him. He generally makes deals via the internet. I talk to him sometimes online, to try and ease his social anxiety."

"You know, now that you have the Red Dragon Emperor with you, you could always have Gasper suck a little of his blood," Azazel said. "It doesn't have to be much either. Draconic blood just helps."

Hermione grimaced as Harry wondered how he would feel about a crossdressing part-vampire drinking his blood. "Gasper hates drinking blood."

"Poor kid. Then again, I heard rumours about his home life before he joined Rias' Peerage. Nasty. No wonder he's a nervous wreck," Azazel said, before finishing his scan. "Right. Thanks for your patience, Harry, and you too, Ddraig. Still, I ain't the sort of guy to just cut and run…"

And then, Harry felt something. It was as if he was suddenly at the bottom of the ocean, under pressure. A crushing sensation of sheer power. And he knew by the looks on everyone present that they felt it too, even Azazel. Only Luna seemed unaffected, though she was smiling far more than usual. "Please tell me that's not who I think it is," Azazel said.

"Ophi!" Luna cheered, before heading to the door.

Azazel got a rather fixed look on his face. It wasn't quite fear, more of a desire to not get involved in a messy situation. "Maybe I should head on back. You don't mind?"

"Of course not. Merlin, I'm glad we have those puddings under a stasis charm," Hermione said.

* * *

The pressure had lessened somewhat when Harry, Lily and Hermione made it into the kitchen, where Luna was presenting a plate with a pudding on it to…something rather unexpected. Harry had been told what Ophis looked like by Hermione, true, but to see her in person was another matter, especially given the sheer _presence_ she had, the sheer _power_.

True, Ophis didn't actually look impressive. In fact, she looked like a pre-teen girl in Victorian dress. Cute, but impassive features framed by dark hair, her grey eyes dull, flickering up to look at Harry, and then at the Boosted Gear, with disinterest. The only sign to her physical appearance that indicated she wasn't human was the pair of pointed ears poking out from her hair.

But her presence was absolute. Harry knew that if he ever earned anything like her ire, assuming she could feel such an emotion, he'd be annihilated with a mere twitch of her finger.

"By the way, Ophi, have you met my friend, Harry Tonks? Only, given that his father is Riser Phenex, I guess it's Harry Phenex?" Luna mused.

Ophis' eyes flickered over to Harry once more, then returned to her pudding. On tasting it, she remarked, in a quiet monotone, "This…is good pudding."

"Of course it is! The Great Red Dummy doesn't know what he's missing out on!" Luna cheered.

"…The Great Red…what?" Harry asked Hermione quietly.

"The Great Red Dragon, one of the few entities who could match Ophis," Hermione said in equally hushed tones. "He's taken up residence in Ophis' home, the Dimensional Gap, a sort of corrosive void between dimensions."

"I…want my silence back," Ophis said, turning to look at them.

"…Have you tried earplugs?" Harry asked, perhaps unwisely.

Ophis cocked her head. "Luna…asked the same thing. She…interviewed me for _The Quibbler_ , in exchange for cookies. It was…novel." She returned to her pudding. "The Khaos Brigade…I realised that they would not give me back my silence. They…have their own agendas."

"Well…if I could give you your silence back, I would," Harry said quietly.

Ophis shrugged. "You…are strong. But not…as strong as the Great Red Dummy. Even my snakes would not help." Then, as an afterthought, she said, "Thank you for the offer."

"She _likes_ you," Luna said in a _sotto voce_ whisper.

 _How can you tell?_ Harry thought to himself. The dragon in the form of a girl was almost utterly impassive.

"You look adorable like that," Lily said. "I never thought that the Ouroborous Dragon God would be so cute."

Ophis just shot her a look. Not really a glare, just a look. She soon finished her pudding, and then said to Luna, "Thank you." Then, she turned to Harry. "I…want you to get strong. I…need help to take on the Great Red Dummy."

"…Okay," Harry said. "…Does that mean you want to be friends?"

Ophis blinked, then looked at Luna, who nodded with an overly eager smile on her face. "…Yes," the dragon in girl's form said. Then, as an afterthought, she said, "Goodbye." She then opened a portal, and vanished, taking that pressure with her.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that went well. I just wish she remembered to restrain as much of her power as possible, next time. That was only a small fraction of it."

"A _small fraction_ ," Harry said flatly.

"Believe it or not, yes. She usually restrains herself more."

"Something the Great Red Dummy did or said must've made her irritable," Luna remarked. "Still, you made a good impression."

"Have you ever brought her to Hagrid?" Lily asked.

"I'd like Hagrid to live," Luna said. "As good-natured as he is, and as much as he'd adore a dragon in the form of a cute girl, he'd probably annoy her too much. Admittedly, I annoy her a little too…but I know where to draw the line. Hagrid doesn't really have a sense of danger and self-preservation, but I do."

The coughs that Hermione promptly made sounded suspiciously like she was saying _Bollocks!_ under her breath.

* * *

In a way, those encounters marked the end of what was something of an easy time for Harry. True, it was a time where he had upheaval, where he had to learn the particulars and mores of being a Devil, and it had not a little danger…but it felt like things were finally going his way in his life.

That would soon change, come Halloween…

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, we've had more character interactions. Quite frankly, and I'm sure many of you will agree with me, it's time to get back to the plot. We'll have the Goblet of Fire, and while Harry won't be chosen as a Champion, this won't mean there'll be no fallout from his half-brother being chosen.**

 **Review-answering time!** **frisbeeg70** **: Yeah, it's a pretty big plot hole. I'll just go with that he had one, up until the Basilisk bit him.**

 **1\. The new series of** ** _Doctor Who_** **has only just premiered (this story is set in 2005, remember?), so Azazel naturally has a new series style sonic screwdriver.**

 **2\. I'm not the first to make the comparison. Third Fang in** ** _Go Away I'm Watching Porn_** **makes the same comparison, with Issei, after pointing this out to Rias, and Rias not actually getting it, tells her bluntly that she's a terrible weeaboo.**


	12. Chapter 11: The Goblet of Fire

**CHAPTER 11:**

 **THE GOBLET OF FIRE**

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the long beards Fred and George had suddenly grown. The fools had tried to enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament using an Aging Potion that they thought would trick Dumbledore's Age Line. And for all the qualms Harry sometimes had about Dumbledore for the mistakes he made, the old wizard was still one of the most powerful alive in the world…well, who was human, and hadn't actually become a Pact Magician, or had a Sacred Gear.

Soon, the man himself arrived, and laughed at the beards Fred and George had gained. All in good fun, as the Weasley Twins also began laughing. Harry had to give them that. As close to the line as their pranks skirted, they never crossed it, at least not during his time at Hogwarts. Not like the Marauders.

Still, it had been an eventful past day. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang's respective delegations had arrived, to much pomp and fanfare. Harry thought that they were showoffs, really. Beauxbatons, he noted, had a student who had to be part-Veela, or else part-Fallen or Devil or youkai. Fleur Delacour, apparently, when he asked around. Beautiful and blonde, and rather haughty. She looked like she'd fit right in with the Phenexes.

And there was of course Viktor Krum, star Seeker of the Bulgarian National Quidditch team. His half-brother and Ron were fanboying out over him. Harry and Hermione shared a look. They wondered whether Ron would be coming out of the closet for Krum.

Then, in the Great Hall, Dumbledore unveiled the relic that would be used to judge the entrants into the Tri-Wizard Tournament: the Goblet of Fire. Contestants over the age of 17 would be able to drop their name on a piece of parchment into it, and it would then choose three names, one for each school. It would choose the names tonight, Halloween night, something Harry felt ill at ease about, given that bad shit had a tendency to happen at Halloween during his time at Hogwarts. His first year was fine, and his fourth year, last year, was fine, despite the Dementors. But second year, well, there was that mess with Hermione and the troll, and in his third year, there was the first Basilisk attack.

After Dumbledore finished with the Weasley Twins, he walked over to Harry, and said, quietly, "Harry, my boy, please come to my office in a quarter of an hour's time. I'm feeling particularly partial to Malteasers these days."

Harry nodded. It was a thinly veiled attempt to reveal his password to get past the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's Office. While he had spoken to Harry a few times since Harry learned of his true heritage, Harry hadn't spoken to him at length. However, it seemed that was going to change soon.

The time passed swiftly, and Harry headed to the Headmaster's Office. After entering, he was invited to take a seat by Dumbledore. Then, after a moment, he said, quietly, "It has been an eventful school year for you thus far, my boy. Even I had no idea as to your true heritage, or your true power."

"I could have done with that sooner, though," Harry said quietly. "Since Potter disowned me, no, since he started calling me a bastard, I wondered who my father was. I only stopped myself from going to take an inheritance test because…well, I didn't know how I'd react if my father was…"

"Someone reprehensible?" Dumbledore asked gently. "That's understandable, but mistaken. I have lived a long life, Harry. Long enough to accumulate many mistakes, and long enough to know that, even if something is perceived as dark and evil, or light and good, does not necessarily make it so. I speak from experience. Indeed, I have met many Devils before, along with Angels, Fallen or not. While Angels are, for the most part, good, if sometimes rather zealous and singleminded, Devils and Fallen are like people, with all shades of morality that come with them. Admittedly, it wasn't always that way…but the worst of the Devils were purged in the wars that decimated their population. It wasn't unlike the war, over a decade ago, against Voldemort. It is by our actions and deeds, as well as the motives behind them, that we should judge morality."

"…I'm glad you don't judge myself or Hermione for being Devils, Headmaster."

"As long as your behaviour is beyond any true reproach, I don't care. That being said, while I am sure Hermione and Severus have told you already, I will need to vet any students that you intend to bring into your Peerage. Becoming a Devil, after all, is not something that should be taken lightly. And with the eyes of the wizards of Europe on Hogwarts thanks to this Tournament…you should be as discreet as possible. Hermione told me that you have some candidates in the Weasley Twins. As long as they consent, I don't see why not. However, I should warn you that there may be some backlash from their mother."

"Molly the Living Howler," Harry said with a wince. Molly was a nice woman on the occasions Harry had met her, even if she seemed to pay more heed to Charlie, but she had a bloody loud voice, something that was proven whenever she sent a Howler.

"Hmm. Also, Hermione told me that you have revived Lily. I'm glad. What happened with Lily and James…I'm afraid I encouraged James Potter in pursuing a relationship with Lily after…well, after another friendship she had went sour," Dumbledore said. "I misjudged his character badly. I admit, one of my faults is trying to see the good in others, more than what is really there. I only truly realised what I was blind to when he disowned you, and the Tonks family took you in. But I never thought he would go so far as to force a marriage contract on her while she was under the influence of Amortentia."

"If you're looking to apologise, don't bother," Harry said. "Mum's the one you should be apologising to, and anyway, it's Potter who's at fault. I know you have a thing for forgiveness…but there are some things that are unforgivable. What he did to my mother was effectively rape. Repeated rape."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "And proving it would be next to impossible. James can gainsay even anything I say. In truth, my political star is on the wane. But I only stay on because of unfinished business. Voldemort still lives on, even as a shade."

"Because of the Horcruxes." Harry had been told about them before.

"Indeed. And I fear he's gathering power once more. I have heard rumours from Albania. And with Pettigrew at large…" Dumbledore shook his head. "In any case, Harry…I fear dark times may be at hand."

"Professor, I don't think anyone would truly want to see him return, save for his most fanatic followers, and most of those are in Azkaban. Even Lucius Malfoy, bastard though he is, would prefer not to kneel to him anymore. So…maybe we should concentrate on getting rid of his Horcruxes."

"If it were only as simple as that. I have reason to believe that he made multiple Horcruxes, and probably hid them. Even now, I only suspected he made Horcruxes until you confirmed it. Where did you hear that term?"

"Ajuka Beelzebub removed one from me, and Rias and Hermione told me what it was not so long ago," Harry said.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Merlin…I'm sorry…it's a good thing that it was removed from you, then. Until Charles was attacked by the Basilisk…well, I knew he had something in him, something I merely suspected was a Horcrux…but it died when he was bitten by the Basilisk. He still retains the ability to speak Parseltongue, though. But…never mind. It is good, as a Horcrux needs to be destroyed utterly, according to the available literature. And yet, neither you nor your brother had to die, something I had feared. I have too many deaths on my conscience, I don't need more. In any case, tracking down Voldemort's Horcruxes will be troublesome, to say the least. Especially as we should make the effort to ensure he doesn't learn about anyone targeting them, lest he shift them. That being said…if you have contacts with the Devils, could you enquire as to whether they have a ritual or something that could trace them or destroy them?"

"I'll ask, but I can't guarantee that," Harry said.

"I understand…"

* * *

They spoke for a time on other matters, with Dumbledore admitting that he had met Serafall, and had even guest-starred in an episode of _Magical Girl Milky Spiral 7 Alternative_ as a favour to the Leviathan. He'd apparently played the villain of the week, a manipulative goat-faced chess player with an addiction to lemon drops. " _I loved playing the villain for once_ ," he had said with a smile.

Later, Harry met with Snape, and asked him to be an intermediary for him and Narcissa Malfoy. Snape agreed, and revealed that he had been actually in contact with Narcissa. The former Black was thinking it over, but she said that she would agree by Bonfire Night, the 5th of November. On an incidental note, the Gunpowder Plot had been partly funded by some wizarding families because of James I's obsession with witches.

Later that evening, during dinner, Harry reflected on what had happened so far. It had been, admittedly, less than two months since he had first met Rias, but he was strongly considering accepting the proposal. There were many factors involved. While he could not actually say he felt love for her, he could certainly say that he now counted her as a friend. Not as good as Hermione or anyone else he knew at Hogwarts, true, but enough to count her, her Peerage, and Sona Sitri as friends.

He certainly felt attracted to her, though lust and physical attraction could not be the sole basis of any true relationship. And he thought that, despite being a Devil, and the younger sister of the current Lucifer, she was a good person. And perhaps most importantly…he wanted to help her. While she could be considered selfish in wanting to get out of her marriage contract with Riser, Sirzechs and other members of the Underworld had confirmed that Riser was, at best, self-centred and hedonistic. At worse, he was an unrepentant lech who viewed women as objects of desire, and little more.

Rias wasn't quite a damsel in distress. If he refused, he knew that, not only would she take that on board, but she would try to get stronger herself. But Harry knew that the odds were stacked against her, as they would be stacked against him if he accepted. But he had the desire to fight despite the odds.

In a way, it was a shame he couldn't enter himself into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Then again, while Quidditch had been cancelled for the year, he still had his OWLs to study for. He was fairly sure he would pass them, but he wanted to do well enough. But if he was in the Tournament, he could test himself against whatever they had lined up.

After the feast, the naming of the Champions was to begin. Soon, the Durmstrang Champion was chosen. To few people's surprise, it was Viktor Krum. Karkaroff seemed to applaud way too loudly, though. The Beauxbatons Champion was the French part-Veela, Fleur Delacour. Must have some skill to be chosen by the Goblet, Harry reflected.

The Hogwarts Champion was an interesting surprise: Cedric Diggory. Harry grinned, and applauded the Hufflepuff. It was about time the Badgers got a chance to shine. Things were a bit overshadowed lately by his younger brother's antics, bringing Gryffindors and their habitual rivals in Slytherin to the fore. Then again, trouble seemed to be attracted to his brother. Hopefully, this year would be different.

Well, he made a mistake thinking that, as he was daring the universe to prove him otherwise. The Goblet of Fire suddenly flared up once more, and spat out a scrap of parchment. A scrap of parchment that Dumbledore caught, and then looked at, shocked. Dumbledore's eyes met his own briefly, and Harry had a bad feeling about this.

"Charles Potter?"

The silence that had fallen over the Great Hall was a palpable, solid thing, as if Ophis had arrived, and was blanketing the room with but a mere fraction of her presence. Harry whirled in his seat to look down the table at his half-brother. Under other circumstances, he would have been gratified to see the smug look wiped off Charlie's face, and a deer-in-the-headlights look taking its place. But he couldn't take any satisfaction in this. He knew in an instant that Charlie had not entered himself or asked someone else to enter him into the Tri-Wizard Tournament…but that didn't stop him from being entered anyway.

With the air of a condemned man heading to the gallows, Charlie shuffled off. And Harry knew that someone, either one of Voldemort's minions or one of James Potter's enemies, had embroiled Charlie into a very dangerous situation indeed…

 **CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, that just happened. Yes, I know I said Charles was going to be the one selected instead of Harry in previous annotations, but still, usually in WBWL fics, or at least mine, it's both, or else it's Harry alone.**

 **Incidentally, did you like my little nod to Dumbledore-bashing fics when I mentioned his favour for Serafall? While I will do Dumbledore bashing if it suits the story, there are other times when I think it works better to have a flawed but good Dumbledore. It all depends on the type of story I want to tell.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Reishin Amara** **: It's actually a concept I've idly considered myself, but for all Dio's awesomeness, I don't think merging him with Harry quite works out.**

 **Leicontis** **: I'll have to disagree regarding Luna, as she can get irritating in some ways. But there are plenty of characters who do fulfil that litmus test. Asia is one, and I think Nana from** ** _Elfen Lied_** **is another, along with Mayu from the same series. Vivi from** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **is also another example, as is Ruby Rose from** ** _RWBY_** **, Jo from** ** _Bleak House_** **, Valentine de Villefort from** ** _The Count of Monte Cristo_** **, Mare from** ** _Overlord_** **(even Demiurge, debatably the most evil character in the franchise, actually refrains from destroying Mare's innocence and indeed takes him under his wing), Victoria and Nyssa from the classic series of** ** _Doctor Who_** **, and so on.**

 **Forest1395101** **: Guest has a point. I put in things into my summary and into my foreword, warning what is ahead. If people don't like what they read after that, then they are free to stop reading.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	13. Chapter 12: Aftershocks

**CHAPTER 12:**

 **AFTERSHOCKS**

When Harry made it back to the Gryffindor Common Room, he glared at the Weasley Twins as they prepared to erect a banner, with the help of Lee Jordan. "Do not hang that up," he said coldly.

Fred and George blinked, looking at each other and Lee, while the plaintive voice of Colin Creevey, one of Charlie's fanboys, asked, "But why not?"

"One," Harry said harshly, "it's disrespectful to Cedric Diggory, who was chosen as Hogwarts' Champion."

"Who gives a fuck about the Badgers?" retorted someone who Harry was certain was Cormac McLaggen.

"That doesn't even deserve a response," Harry said. "Two, it's disrespectful to Charlie. Did any of you idiots pay attention to what his expression was when his name was taken out of the Goblet of Fire? He was surprised, and even scared. And he should be. This Tournament was meant to be for students at NEWTs level, and frankly, given the death toll in previous Tournaments, I'm actually concerned for him."

"Why do you care, _Tonks?_ " Ginny sneered. "You've always hated Charlie! Or maybe that's what it is! You put his name into the Goblet to try to kill him!"

Harry should have known this stupid little tart would say something like this, and her words had set people talking. "I would be careful, Ginny Weasley. Blood feuds have been declared for less. Would the older siblings actually try to talk some sense into her? Besides, my brother is an arsehole, but he hasn't done anything to have me want to kill him."

"Liar!" Ginny howled.

"I can take Veritaserum and prove it. And Charlie can take Veritaserum and prove he didn't enter himself," Harry sneered back at her.

Fred and George hustled over to Ginny, followed shortly by Ron (who, for once in his life, looked like he was trying to do something sensible), and took her to a corner, despite her protests, and began talking to her. Harry, meanwhile, glared at the others, some of whom looked ashamed, others looking belligerent. "Now, Charlie is going to be coming up here, probably after being given a right bollocking by Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and the heads of the other schools. If we're lucky, there's a chance he will be able to get the hell out of this Tournament. If not…then he's stuck in it. So for once in your life, think of him not as the Boy Who Fucking Lived, and as Charlie Potter! Give him time to process this, but don't make this out like this is at all a good thing, because IT ISN'T! If Ludo fucking Bagman is in charge of this Tournament, then the safety measures were put in place by a gambling addict who took too many Bludgers to the skull! Think about that!"

Harry stormed over to a corner, Hermione following him, and she set up a Privacy Charm. "That's not going to help them much," Hermione said grimly. "These people have the average IQ of a troll. I'd blame inbreeding, but I've met many Muggles and Devils equally as stupid."

"Don't need to tell me that," Harry said. "And that little ginger bitch spouting off her accusations is going to cause trouble, especially with Potter being a Hit-Wizard when he's not politicking. And considering that Potter is always champing at the bit to give me or my family trouble…"

"Do you think standing up for Charlie would help you?"

"No, he'd view it as a double bluff," Harry sneered. "Charlie might buy it, but James Potter? He'd see everything I do as a fucking conspiracy against him because he can't stand being a cuckold! In a way, I'm glad you found out about my heritage, Hermione. Because it means that I have an escape clause. If I get kicked out of Hogwarts, I can just head to the Underworld."

"You won't get kicked out of Hogwarts," Hermione said. "Dumbledore won't allow it. And Amelia Bones is head of the DMLE. She'd keep James Potter on a leash."

"She couldn't stop him from hounding Dora out of Auror training because of his connections," Harry retorted. "Bones may be a good head of the DMLE, but nepotism and connections rule, even there. Maybe he won't get Aurors to bring me in, but he can still feed info to _The Daily Prophet_ , and that bitch Rita Skeeter listens to anyone who has either bribe money or leverage. And there's Mum's disappearance. He may not be able to drag me to the Wizengamot for trial, but he can certainly have me tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. And if it comes out that I'm part-Devil…"

Hermione nodded grimly. "While wizards haven't had the best of relations with the Church and the Exorcists, they still have some connections going on. The moment it comes out publicly, someone is going to send for an Exorcist, or even hire a Stray Exorcist. I'd probably have to come with you, and take my Peerage with me…"

* * *

When Charlie came in, he still looked shocked and dazed. But judging by Ginny and Neville's talking to him, and the glare he showed Harry, he seemed to believe Ginny's accusatory notion. Harry rolled his eyes. All his sympathy, attempts to try and cushion the blow…he shouldn't have done a damned thing. There wasn't a single grateful bone in Charlie's body.

Harry decided to sleep on the matter. However, the next day, he was called into Dumbledore's office and, in the presence of Amelia Bones, who had been called in as well, he agreed to undergo a brief testing via Veritaserum, as James Potter had already been causing a ruckus, calling for Harry to be brought into the DMLE. And while James Potter could gainsay Amelia Bones on some matters, Harry undergoing a supervised use of Veritaserum helped, especially as Harry didn't dodge any questions.

Harry, however, had enough. It was a Sunday, and he'd had enough of being stared at and glared at, so he decided to get some air. He'd considered going to the Underworld, but Rias and the others were on some trip to somewhere in Japan for the weekend, and he didn't want to rant and rave to his mother while she was still recovering. Going to the Room of Requirement to work off his anger didn't seem like it'd work. So, instead, he found himself wandering out onto the grounds, telling Hermione that he wanted to be alone. He ended up heading a little of the way into the Forbidden Forest, not that far in, not as far in as they did during the Stray Devil hunt…but far enough.

He realised, with a start, that he was being watched. "…Show yourself," he said.

"Well, that's rather rude," came a familiar, but perhaps unwelcome voice. Hopping down from a nearby tree came the form of Raynare, still dressed in the barely-covering BDSM-like costume she had worn last time.

"I came here to be alone," Harry said. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

Raynare scoffed, folding her arms under her impressive bust. "Lord Azazel asked me to stay at Hogsmeade for a while with my cell, to keep an eye on the Red Dragon Emperor."

"Spying on me?" Harry asked dangerously.

She rolled her eyes. "Look, spying suggests that I'd be making more of an effort to keep it secret. Lord Azazel has his mad scientist hard-on for Sacred Gears, especially the Longinuses. Anyway, any possessor of Sacred Gears are worth tracking by any of the Three Factions. Don't worry. You're not in danger from me or my cell."

"…That's oddly specific."

Raynare scoffed again. "…Do you think the Grigori are united? There's different factions even within the Fallen, some of whom are more than willing to start war again. Killing a Devil on the grounds of Hogwarts, even though it's technically neutral? I'm all for killing Devils, true, but frankly, I'd rather not tickle that particular sleeping Dragon you've got in your soul. So, what's got your panties in a bunch?"

"Says the woman wearing the dominatrix outfit," Harry snarked.

"Hey, it's a lifestyle choice," Raynare retorted, before her features softened. "Is it something to do with last night? I read about it in _The Daily Prophet_ this morning. The Brat Who Lived, entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Are you pissed that he stole the limelight again?"

"…No. No, it's more that…I tried to be nice to him…and it didn't help." Harry, in something of a catharsis, began speaking to Raynare. He wasn't sure why. Raynare was, technically, an enemy, or at least not a friend by any means. But he did so anyway. And to her credit, Raynare listened.

Eventually, Raynare went over to a log, and sat down on it, patting part of it next to her. Harry, with some trepidation, did as he was bidden. Raynare looked up at the sky, visible through the treetops, and sighed. "…You know, you did better than I would've in that situation," the Fallen said. "Heh. Can't believe I'm admitting that a Cambion would do better than me. The thing is, you tried to do what you thought was the right thing. But, well…I'll admit, I'm a pretty cruel person. I probably would have stuck him full of enough Light Spears to make him look like a glow-in-the-dark hedgehog."

"…If you're so cruel, why did you listen to me?"

"I guess you needed someone to talk to, even if you didn't know it. God knows I've needed someone like that over the centuries." Raynare pointed up at the sky. "I Fell…so many centuries ago. I Fell because I fell in love with a human who took advantage of me, pretended to love me, when he didn't. Do you know what it's like to fall from grace? No, no human or Devil or Nephilim would know. From knowing the love of God…to being cut off from Him. And when the human destroyed my hope for a good life…I was only saved by Lord Azazel." A faint smile touched her lips. "I fell in love anew…but…Lord Azazel is not the sort of man to love me back. Oh, he's friendly with me, and I know he's attracted to me…but his first true loves are Sacred Gears."

"…Wow. Unrequited love with your boss. That sucks," Harry said. "…And is falling from grace that bad?"

"It's worse. It's like…a phantom limb, only it's part of your soul. Pain would be desirable by comparison. My point is…no good deed goes unpunished. Take it from someone who has lived for centuries. Take, for example, the Gremory girl. Azazel has told me about the little scheme Bael and Gremory cooked up. Agree to the proposal, and you'll have to fight your father. Disagree, and you leave Gremory to Riser Phenex's tender mercies, of which he has none. You'll have to fight every step of the way to get any chance of happiness…and you may see it snatched away before your very eyes. Not to mention you'll have more people after you than ever. You're a Cambion, a Phenex, and the Red Dragon Emperor."

"…And? Voldemort came to try and kill me when I was a toddler. I've had to deal with James Potter's shit and Charlie's strutting and preening and making himself out to be Merlin's second coming. I may not be strong enough to face everything coming after me…but I have had this crap happen to me enough to know I have to fight my way to get anywhere in life."

A low chuckle came out of Raynare's mouth, and she gave Harry a smile, a genuine one, albeit touched by a sardonic attitude. "You know what? I think despite myself, I like you."

"Yeesh, sometimes, there's not enough vomit in the world," came a voice from a nearby tree. Perched on a branch was what looked like a petite teenager dressed in Gothic Lolita style clothing…with black wings.

Raynare groaned. "Mittelt, what are you doing here? I thought you were patrolling the perimeter of the forest, you gooseberry."

Mittelt rolled her eyes. "Dohnaseek got it into his head to start giving the Acromantula nest nearby a bit of a culling, and Kalawarner decided to tag along. I got bored waiting around for them, so I decided to see where you had gotten to. Anyway, gooseberry? Isn't there a bit of an age gap between you and this guy? Or are you that desperate to date the Red Dragon Emperor? He's easy on the eyes, if a bit scrawny, but…"

"You're one to talk, Washboard," Raynare retorted. "The only people who'd want to date you are teenagers and paedophiles."

"I'm still growing!" Mittelt retorted.

Raynare rolled her eyes. "Yes. Maybe in a few centuries you might actually stop having to pad your bra." As Mittelt spluttered, Raynare looked at Harry. "It was surprisingly good talking to you, kid. And when you get around to kicking your father's arse, send a recording my way. I'm always up for seeing a Devil get beaten up, even if it's by another Devil, and especially one like Riser Phenex." Raynare then looked at Mittelt. "Come on, Mittelt. Let's go and see if Dohnaseek has worked off his murderboner. No doubt we'll have to clean up a very sticky mess…"

As the two Fallen made to fly off, Harry said, "Raynare." When she turned to face him, he said, quietly, "Thanks for talking to me. And I hope you find someone to love."

"Normally, I wouldn't say ' _you're welcome_ ' to a Devil, but…I guess today's surprising me. Be seeing you," Raynare said. She gave a short wave of goodbye, and then, with Mittelt, flew into the sky.

It was strange, how talking to one of the Fallen actually helped relieve him. He hadn't come to the Forbidden Forest to speak with anyone. In fact, he did so to get away from people. And yet, one of the Fallen, a being that normally would have killed him on sight, had not only spoken to him, but lifted a burden on his soul, ever so slightly.

Oh, he knew he was heading back into a shitstorm as he made his way back to the castle. But he felt a little better about it. And he knew that now, he shouldn't have to give a crap about Charlie. If Charlie thought that Harry wanted him dead…then Harry was content to let him go through this Tournament without any help from him. Not that the Brat Who Lived would accept it from Harry.

Then again, Harry had problems of his own to deal with. A potential marriage, a confrontation with his biological father, and coming to terms with his heritage. Let Charlie deal with his own problems. Harry wanted to concentrate on his own stuff…

 **CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Now, I've probably wiped out a lot of sympathy for Charlie, but frankly, he's still very much a brat. Not irredeemable, but certainly unpleasant and selfish. And this, aside from some post-Hogwarts stuff in other works, is the closest I've come to Ginny-bashing. Keep in mind, Ginny is just a teenaged girl smitten with Charlie. She's an idiot more than malicious. I didn't feel up to writing a confrontation between James Potter and Harry, either, hence the Veritaserum bit mentioned in passing.**

 **As for Raynare, a few reviewers praised me for keeping closer to her canon portrayal, but I still wanted a sympathetic Raynare. Her getting involved in this chapter was a bit of an accident, but a happy one. Raynare doesn't really get much in the way of substantial characterisation in** ** _High School DxD_** **, beyond an allusion to wanting to be loved. So I feel like I kept a balance between her more vicious bitchy side, and a sympathetic side that I think is plausible. She basically heard Harry out partly on a whim, being curious about him. She won't be part of the harem by any means. I'm viewing her as more of a big sister character, at least eventually.**

 **Review-answering time! It's worth pointing out, for those who are confused, that in this story, Voldemort believes Charlie to be the BWL, hence Charlie's name coming out of the Goblet. Most of the time, it's not, but for this story, and my** ** _Black Lagoon_** **crossover** ** _Disquiet_** **, that is the case.**

 **Xaax** **: While I am considering Fleur for the Peerage, it won't be in that way, at least not in a magical debt kind of way. Also, Ginny will be Charlie's hostage for the Second Task. Also, if you like Harry/Fleur, have you read my story** ** _In Spite of Obstinate Men_** **and its sequel,** ** _In Spite of Appearances_** **?**

 **TimothyB** **: His face favours Lily more, though he does have some of Riser's features. He has brown hair, though, not red or blonde, though once the seal on his powers were removed, he gained a blonde streak.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	14. Chapter 13: Resolution

**CHAPTER 13:**

 **RESOLUTION**

The next week was irritating, to say the least, and Harry looked forward to going to the Underworld more than ever now. Ginny's accusations had taken root in some people's minds, and the only thing stopping James Potter from bringing some Aurors to arrest Harry was Amelia Bones' questioning of Harry under Veritaserum's influence. Still, Harry eventually met Narcissa in Dumbledore's office who, to his shock, had all but knelt, begging for him to bring her into his Peerage. He'd agreed, and made her his first Bishop. He would be later surprised to learn that Lucius Malfoy had suffered a magical 'accident' that left him in a coma in St Mungo's. Narcissa wouldn't be drawn on how that happened, only that it was a Black family recipe. Attempting anything like that before she became a Devil, and the marriage contract was nullified, could have gone badly.

Remus also sent word. He'd finally decided to bite the bullet and become a Devil. So Harry was going to make him a Bishop, a Knight, or a Pawn, probably a Bishop-Pawn using three pieces.

Soon after arriving, Hermione intended to come along later, Harry was surprised to find that Rias' Peerage were present, sans Rias. But the numbers were made up with a strange figure who was trembling, sitting in a cardboard box. "Akeno, where's Rias?" Harry asked the dark-haired Queen.

"Talking with your mother and Sirzechs about the marriage contract," Akeno said. "We're trying to pore over it before anything else happens, just in case Riser finds a loophole of his own to counter any claim you make."

"And who's this?" Harry asked, going over to the figure squatting in the cardboard box.

"Ah, yes. Harry, this is Gasper Vladi, Rias' sole Bishop to date," Akeno said. "We…had a bit of trouble persuading him to come here, even with Sirzechs' permission to unseal him temporarily."

"I had to hogtie him," Shirone said, deadpan. It was unclear whether she was joking or not.

Harry had been warned about Gasper, but it was still strange. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that the person squatting in the box, staring at him nervously with violet eyes, was a girl of about Shirone's age. Certainly, he was dressed like a girl, his features were feminine and cute, framed by short blonde hair, from which pointed ears protruded.

"Hey, Gasper," Harry said to the crossdressing Dhampir. "I'm Harry. It's nice to meet you."

The skittish boy looked up at him, and gave him a nervous smile. "H-h-hello," he stammered. His voice could have even been that of a girl's.

"Gasper is…what we call in Japan a _hikikomori_ ," Akeno explained gently. "An extreme shut-in. Between what his family did to him, his Sacred Gear, and other things…"

"I see. You've gone through a lot of crap, have you, Gasper?" Harry asked.

Gasper nodded nervously. "I d-d-don't like b-b-being outside my room. It's scary."

Harry felt his heart go out to the Dhampir, despite the sheer weirdness involved here. He reached over and gently put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey…I'm not going to hurt you, Gasper." He glared at Shirone. "You didn't really hogtie him, did you?"

"No," the nekomata said, rolling her eyes. "But it took a lot to persuade him to come down here."

"You're taking the presence of a crossdressing half-vampire well, Harry," Kiba remarked.

"I guess I would have been more weirded out if nobody told me before," Harry said. "Anyway, he looks like he needs a hug."

Gasper recoiled, and Akeno said, "Harry, Gasper's not much one for physical contact. That he let him touch your shoulder was amazing enough. I don't think a hug is on the cards yet."

"…What the hell did they do to him?" Harry asked. " _Who_ the hell did this to him?" His voice, while quiet and calm, held an undercurrent of violence to it, a desire to kill. And he wondered who would treat Gasper, who looked like he couldn't hurt a fly even if he wanted to, like crap, enough to make him into a nervous wreck.

Akeno shook her head. "It's not our story to tell."

"…But we're friends, right? And I try to look after my friends. Those who hurt them…" Harry growled quietly.

"Harry…Gasper's story is not unique, especially in Rias' Peerage," Akeno said softly. "We've all had bad lives prior to being recruited into her Peerage."

"…I know about Shirone, how her former King experimented on Kuroka, and Kuroka killed him to save Shirone," Harry said quietly. "But…what about you?"

Akeno and Kiba exchanged a look. Then, the handsome boy spoke. "I'm not going to go into detail about what happened to me, only that a faction of the Church ran experiments on me. Experiments whose results they still use. I was the only survivor of that twisted project. I doubt Gasper wants his dirty laundry aired either. It's rather painful for him."

"…As for me…well, in a way, I am similar to you and Hermione," Akeno said. "I'm a half-breed…except I wasn't a Cambion." She showed her wings…only one was the distinctive bat-like wing of a Devil, and the other was the raven black feathers of…

"You're part-Fallen. A Nephilim," Harry breathed. "What happened?"

"…You're not afraid? Disgusted?"

Harry shook his head vehemently. "Azazel seemed pretty fine, and, well, Raynare and I had a good talk last week. Plus, that wing looks beautiful."

Akeno chuckled, though it was sad as well as embarrassed and demure. "…You really do lack that prejudice. Most Devils would treat me with contempt if they saw this, if not outright hatred. For me…like Kiba, I don't want to discuss the details too much. I don't like talking about my father, Baraquiel. He left my mother to die. You see, my mother comes from a long line of Shinto exorcists who thought that she sullied herself by having me with a Fallen Angel. She was murdered, and I spent a long time on the run. I was only rescued thanks to the intervention of Sirzechs, and I accepted the offer to join Rias' Peerage."

"…Wow. That…that sucks."

Akeno nodded solemnly, even as she withdrew her wings. "I told you this because Hermione trusts you…and I'm considering you a friend. Everyone in Rias' Peerage joined her because we had really nowhere else to go, with few if any people who care about us. Of course, by comparison, Rias has lived an extremely privileged life…but she feels obligated to help others too."

" _Noblesse oblige?_ " Harry asked, remembering the phrase while discussing Pureblood politics with Andromeda Tonks.

"More than that. I think Rias wants more friends," Kiba said. "Keep in mind, given her station, how many people would view her as Rias Gremory, Heiress to her family, and not as Rias?"

"I sort of got that already," Harry said. "Hermione and Sona were her only real friends, weren't they?"

"Pretty much," Shirone said. "She took us in, made us feel like we were welcome. Like we had a home."

Akeno nodded. "It may sound manipulative, but we've known Rias for longer than you have. And converting us to Devils doesn't actually take away our free will. Otherwise, you wouldn't have Strays. Rias has an obligation to create a Peerage, to help replenish the Devil population, but she uses that to help those who might otherwise die, or at least have worse lives. Out of all of us, only Kiba took being converted into a Devil badly, and, well, that's his story to tell."

"…And they couldn't revive your mother?" Harry asked.

"No. Using an Evil Piece to resurrect someone has to be done within about a day or so, or else their soul cannot be retrieved," Akeno said. "I was on the run for much longer before Sirzechs and his Peerage found me…not that I didn't ask him to. Even something like the Resurrection Stone of the Deathly Hallows could only call back my mother's ghost temporarily."

"Deathly what?" Harry asked.

"Umm, haven't you r-r-read the _T-T-Tales of Beedle the B-B-Bard?_ " Gasper asked. Harry thought that he stammered almost as much as Quirrell.

Harry thought about it, before kicking himself mentally. "You mean _The Three Brothers_ , don't you?"

"Yes," Akeno said. "Supposedly, the artifacts in that story are real, and are known as the Deathly Hallows. Grindlewald actually took the classic symbol of the Hallows as his symbol, much like the Nazis used the swastika."

"And both corrupted them," Kiba remarked. "Symbols once meant for good, now meaning evil."

Silence fell over the gathering at that. Then, Akeno broke it. "Well, never mind about that," she said. "Harry…thank you for not judging me."

"Look…it's how you act than what you are," Harry said. "Besides…we're friends, right? I mean, even if it's through Hermione." Then, after a moment's thought, he asked, rather seriously, "…How would Riser treat you if Rias wed him?"

"As part of his harem, no doubt," Shirone sneered. "He'd probably run Kiba and Gasper ragged on meaningless errands, even have them as meatshields…but Akeno and I…"

Harry nodded. But as he made to say something, he heard a door open, and his mother say, "Harry, if you don't agree to marry this girl soon, I am signing on your behalf!"

Harry winced, and turned to find Lily standing there in front of the doorway, with an embarrassed Rias and a softly chuckling Sirzechs just behind her. Flatly, he snarked, "I thought the whole point of this deal was to bypass meddlesome parents who think they know what's best for their children by using marriage contracts?"

"Don't you talk back to me, young man. I would've thought that Andy and Ted would've raised you properly," Lily said, albeit with a wry smile.

"Mum, I had Dora as a big sister. She taught me the fine art of disrespecting one's elders."

Sirzechs chuckled even louder. Rias shot her older brother a look, to no avail, before turning back with a sigh. "Sorry, these two seem to be hitting it off. Thankfully, not to a degree where I'd have to fear what Grayfia might do, but…"

Sirzechs shook his head. "Grayfia likes Lily too. Comrades in motherhood, bonding over their children…"

"Yes. I'd love to meet Milicas again. He's so adorable," Lily said. "And Grayfia certainly keeps you on the straight and narrow. Rias…do you mind talking with Harry?"

The redhead nodded, and gestured for Harry to follow her. He did so, following her out of the manor and into the garden outside, looking up at the bruise-coloured sky. "So…why did my mother say that?"

Rias blushed a little, more in embarrassment than anything else. "Sorry. She and I have been getting to know each other whenever I've been able to come to the Underworld. In a way, we're both the same, in that we had overly persistent suitors. And, well, I called her something like a third mother."

"…Third mother?"

"Yes," Rias said. "Venelana Gremory, née Bael, is my birth mother. My brother married Grayfia long before I was born, and she has been more like a second mother than a sister-in-law, always being more of a mother hen than my mother. They're both very loving…but with your mother, well, it feels almost more maternal, as horrible as that is to say. But my birth mother is, for all that she loves me and shows it, too wrapped up in the politics of our station, and Grayfia can be pretty strict, even though I know she cares. But Lily…she treats me like I'm a normal person…like I'm just _Rias_. She doesn't remind me that I have all these expectations to fulfil, all these _obligations_. It's like when I met you. Hermione told you about me, but you didn't treat me like so many here do."

"And you treat me much better than many others do," Harry said.

"That's because we're defined by the reputations of others. I'm the heiress to the Gremory family, and I have the reputation of my brother shadowing me. And the same could be said of you."

"…Except your brother is actually a decent guy, despite him being, well, Lucifer," Harry snarked. "Whereas Charlie…I tried to do something decent for him, and yet…"

"Yes, Hermione sent me a letter about that. Harry…would you help him?"

"…Only if Mum asked me to," Harry said quietly. "I wouldn't want to see him dead…but if he seems set on casting me as the villain of his deluded little tragedy, then he can go fuck himself. I know that sounds horrible, but all my life, he's been the Golden Boy, and I was the bastard child. He loved the fame, and did everything he could to exclude me from having even a bit of it. I think that if I was unhappy for the rest of my life, he and James Potter would think that just and good. And if Voldemort did come back, I'd deal with Voldemort for the sake of my family and my friends…not for Charlie or his sycophants."

Rias nodded. "…But you deserve some happiness in your life. I think that's why Lily said that. She thinks you and I can be happy together."

"Do you?"

"I see the possibility. I mean, we've only known each other for a while, but…"

"Yeah. I feel the same way." He gathered himself, breathing in. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a precipice here, one that, once he stepped off it, there was no going back. Eventually, he said, "Rias…I've made my decision. While we won't announce it just yet…I agree to wed you."

Rias stared at him with her lovely aqua eyes, moistening suspiciously. "…You mean that?"

Harry nodded solemnly. "I don't think we feel love for each other, but…I think it can become that. At the very least, I want you to be happy, and…"

He was cut off by Rias throwing her arms around him and hugging him, her breasts pressing hard into his torso. "Harry, just by agreeing, you've made me very happy," she whispered into his ear. "Don't get me wrong, you've made me happy just by being my friend. I'm glad I could share that with you. But…I want to make sure you're happy too. Happiness should be mutual for friends. And indeed, that's part of what love is: mutual happiness."

"…I hope we don't regret this," Harry said.

"Hey…don't be so cynical about it," Rias said, breaking their embrace. "Otherwise, it will fail."

"Sorry…I'm just not used to things going right for me."

"Harry…look at me." He looked once more into her aqua eyes, and she smiled gently. "My brother thinks highly of you. He's a good judge of character. He has to be, given his position. Hermione sings your praises. She has been your friend for four years now. Every member of my Peerage who has met you already feel well-inclined towards you. And considering Gasper's not quivering in the corner with everyone else frozen in time, I think you've made a fairly good impression on him too."

"Maybe…but…I just can't help but wait for the other shoe to drop," Harry said. "I mean, aside from the fact that, by doing this, sooner or later, I'm going to have to kick my biological father's arse."

"Harry…while I can't promise that there is no 'other shoe'…just trust that there'll be something there for you. You have us. We are friends now, all of us. Even if there are bad times, we will stick together during them." Then, as an affectionate little full stop to her homily, she suddenly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, how about, for the weekend, we go to Japan? I'll show you around Kuoh. As a little outing for my fiancé-to-be."

"…Sure, why not?" Harry asked. "I could do with a change…"

 **CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's met Gasper, and he's finally decided to wed Rias. Okay, technically, it's a bit soon in their relationship, but I think they have enough of a handle on each other, and besides, I know more than a few of you are champing at the bit for me to move on with the story. Cue clips from** ** _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_** **of people screaming "** ** _GET ON WITH IT!_** **"**

 **There's a reason for the slow pacing, so to speak. The biggest is to do with** ** _High School DxD_** **itself. It's primarily a fanservice show whose protagonist takes quite a while to be likeable. But the characters do get interesting elements, so what I try to do for my fanfics crossing over with that series is to strip down (unfortunate turn of phrase there) the fanservice and develop the characters more, using what's in the show. I want them to be more than harem archetypes. Shirone/Koneko and Gasper will be Harry's little sibling figures, for example, instead of just the Loli and the Trap. Okay, they develop more in the series, but still…it takes a while for character development to get going compared to the fanservice and harem tropes.**

 **And not just for main characters too: I'm developing Raynare beyond the arc villain that she is in the show, not changing her character too much, but rather, giving her some depth that was badly needed, and I'm glad you guys liked what I did with her in the last chapter. Of course, this does come at the expense of some Potterverse elements and characters, but while this story is set during Book 4, it's not ABOUT the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which is just the background for this story. My strengths as a story writer are dialogue and character development, as opposed to structure, action scenes and…ahem, smut. Whether I've succeeded in making these characters any richer, well, I hope I have. In fact, those familiar with** ** _High School DxD_** **may get a somewhat pleasant surprise when Riser finally makes an appearance and meets Harry for the first time: I want to make him more than just a libidinous douche.**

 **The second is also related: to get Harry used to the idea of a harem, even though polyamory is more accepted in Devil society than human society. Rias, Hermione and Akeno know this. Multiple pairings are difficult to write, partly because of the dynamics between the various people involved, and partly because it needs justification for someone who comes from a society where monogamy is the** ** _accepted_** **norm (fanfics about needing multiple wives for multiple lines aside). Harry may be biologically a Devil, but his mind is still very human, and while he would love to have a harem, in the part of his mind hooked up to his libido, he was raised better than that by Andromeda Tonks. And while Lily would also take time to get used to Devil attitudes to polyamory, she's also become rather fond of Rias in the time she knows her, and basically wants Rias to be her daughter-in-law.**

 **Finally, before I get onto the reviews, please note that I'm not bashing Venelana or Grayfia. I think of Venelana as a loving mother who is locked into the expectations of her station. The same for Grayfia. Both want to free Rias from Riser, I'm sure, but can't** ** _officially_** **be seen to do anything against the Patriarchs of the Gremory and Bael families.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Guest** **(regarding where my inspiration for my characterisation of Raynare came from, and other things): While I have read** ** _FILFy Teacher_** **, and it's in my favourites (Vimesenthusiast is a damned good writer), that was not a conscious inspiration. I was more inspired by Raynare's portrayal in canon, Third Fang's** ** _Go Away I'm Watching Porn_** **(where she's continually called 'Cougar' by a snarky, apathetic Issei), and Magery's** ** _Sidereal Sunset_** **. That being said, I loved her more sympathetic portrayals in other fics, especially YagamiNguyen's** ** _Soundless Knight_** **, Belial the Liar's** ** _His Angel_** **, and Ryushinchi's** ** _Manners Maketh Dragon_** **. What I wanted was to make her seem like a person rather than a villain from a single story arc…she's basically the Raditz of** ** _High School DxD_** **, really.**

 **I forgot about Merlin being a Cambion, so I'll write that in later. And those crude double entendres just came out naturally. I wanted to write about Dohnaseek having a 'murderboner', and the whole sticky mess joke just was a natural progression. As much as I want to minimise the sex jokes in the** ** _High School DxD_** **part of it doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to refrain from writing them entirely. They have more impact when used less frequently.**

 **Also, assuming you're the one who asked about Harry's date to the Yule Ball…he'll be taking Rias. Hermione will be taking Blaise as her 'date'. They'll arrange that in advance. Yes, it'll have tongues wagging, but Hermione will claim that she had a friend who went to another school who wanted a date. Hermione and Rias are good enough friends that they won't feel insecure, as long as they can take turns.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	15. Chapter 14: Kuoh

**CHAPTER 14:**

 **KUOH**

"So, this is Kuoh," Harry asked, looking out of the window at the city. It was a fairly small city, more of a large town, given what he could see from the window of the Occult Research Club of Kuoh High School.

"Yes, my home away from home," Rias said. "I chose this place because, as much as I am a Japanophile, I'm also more comfortable with the familiar. This building was originally a European-style mansion, retrofitted into an academy catering exclusively to girls. Even now, Kuoh High School only recently changed to co-ed."

"Is it owned by the Gremorys?"

"Technically, it's jointly owned by my father with Lady Serafall," Rias said. "Given that this town is relatively quiet, supernaturally-speaking, Sona and I are effectively those in charge of policing and monitoring this territory. When we wed, it will also fall under your jurisdiction as a Phenex. It's not unusual for two or even more Devil families to share territory, at least after the Old Satan Faction fell. That being said, Kuoh may be quiet, but it doesn't necessarily make it unimportant. We are not that far, geographically, from Kyoto, where the Youkai Faction have their base. In fact, you and I may have to meet Lady Yasaka for diplomacy."

"Yasaka?" Harry asked.

"Oh, right. Mr Lupin met her. Yasaka is a kitsune, a nine-tailed fox being who can take on human form. She has a daughter called Kunou," Rias said. "Also, I've heard that Azazel has a _pied-à-terre_ in town. And Sona and I have found that there are a surprising number of Sacred Gear users amongst the populace."

Harry whistled, and then turned back to face the rather luxurious meeting room of the Occult Research Club. Rias' Peerage (sans Gasper, who had already retreated to his room) and Hermione were present, along with Lily and his newly-minted Knight Remus. The grizzled werewolf looked much less haggard already, even a little more at peace with himself.

The room was panelled with dark wood, and on one part of the floor was an elaborate magic circle. The oddest addition to the room, though, was a curtained-off alcove that turned out to have a shower, of all things. Rias apparently loved showering so much, she installed one in the meeting room, and didn't mind doing it even if a relative stranger was in the room. He already had gotten the idea that his fiancé to be was something of an exhibitionist (she shamelessly admitted to sleeping naked, and had facetiously suggested a beach trip where she'd allow him to put sunscreen on her), but the reminders were still a little jarring.

"It's actually quite a neat base of operations," Harry said. "So, you gain contracts from humans, in exchange for minute amounts of their lifeforce, any magical power they have, or items of interest. You also deal with Strays that come onto your territory. Hermione, do you make many contracts?"

"Mostly in Hogsmeade and the nearby villages. We try to avoid the student body where possible," Hermione said. "They're not discreet enough. In addition, most British wizards, or indeed wizards in general, have poor opinions of Devils. Luckily, LeFay Pendragon has helped me there. While she isn't part of my Peerage or my Contract Magician, she voluntarily donates part of her magic power in exchange for rare tomes from the Bael library. Kuroka's off liaising with them. We've decided to become more proactive in finding Voldemort, given what happened to Charlie, and the Pendragons, Bikou and Kuroka are chasing down leads. At the very least, we might find Horcruxes."

"What about the Khaos Brigade?" Rias asked. "What if they try to conscript those four by force, after the fiasco of their original investigation?"

"Then may God have mercy on their souls, because I will have none," Hermione said. "Anyway, what's on the agenda for the weekend?"

"A little tour around town. Admittedly, there's not quite as much as there can be, but there's some nice parks and shrines. Akeno, are you…?"

"Yes, I'm fine with visiting my mother's shrine, don't worry, Rias," Akeno said with her usual demure smile, though Harry got the feeling that, by now, it was less of a mask, at least towards Harry. Despite her tendency towards sadism, the former Nephilim was really a rather lugubrious soul. "Harry doesn't judge me for my heritage, and I feel comfortable showing him. Do you feel comfortable showing off your favourite collectables shop?"

Harry failed to stifle a bit of laughter at the embarrassed and irritated look that came across Rias' face. "It's okay, Rias, you can take me there. You'll probably have to explain a lot of the stuff to me, though. I don't know as much anime stuff as you do. Just expect me to make comparisons to stuff like, say, _Doctor Who_ or _Red Dwarf_."

"Hey, I like those shows too. Hell, that guy they got as the new Doctor for the next series, David Tennant, is just gorgeous! I just like anime more…"

* * *

As he and Rias walked down the street early the next morning, Harry heard Ddraig suddenly say, **_Partner…I sense my rival nearby_**.

Harry frowned, looking around, sensing for something…and then, he realised he could feel something. All of which seemed to be emanating from a brown-haired boy across the street, about a year his junior, sitting nearby, who had suddenly noticed them, and was staring shamelessly at Rias in a rather lascivious manner. "Him?"

"Hmm? What's that, Harry?" Rias asked.

"Ddraig said he could sense his rival nearby," Harry said. "Do you know who that is?" He indicated the boy as subtly as possible.

"I don't know…hmm…oh, wait, I think Sona showed me his file earlier this week from his application to transfer to Kuoh High. Issei Hyoudou. Age 15. Grades, fairly average. Infamous in middle school for teaming up with two friends to form what is locally known as the 'Perverted Trio'. His transfer, oddly enough, is being rushed through, and he'll be joining us next semester. Ddraig could sense Albion?"

"I think so. Ddraig?"

 ** _Yes, I know. And yes, I am fairly sure of it. My rival still slumbers within that boy, but I am almost certain he is the White Dragon Emperor. Poor Albion_** , Ddraig remarked with pity edging his tone.

"Huh. Hey, Rias?"

"Yes?"

He gently entwined his fingers with hers. It was more subtle than a kiss, and Harry wasn't sure whether he wanted to go that far yet. Issei's reaction was almost instant. A scowl of jealousy came across his features, though he did little more as Harry and Rias walked off. Harry marvelled at how soft and warm Rias' hand was. Rias knew what he intended, though, and giggled. "The first time we hold hands romantically, and it's to make someone jealous? Oh my, you really are a Devil."

"Hey…if I am to be your fiancé, I need to deter other would-be suitors," Harry said. "That being said, if he really is the White Dragon Emperor, will you bring him into your Peerage?"

"I'll consider it. Still, for a Sacred Gear user on my territory, I'd have to be careful, especially if the Fallen find out he has a Sacred Gear, and a Longinus at that. There have been skirmishes fought between us when we use an Evil Piece on a Sacred Gear user that the Grigori are watching, though they tend to leave us alone when the user has died. Not to mention other Devils potentially having their eyes on him. If I approached him and made him, say, my Pawn here and now, no doubt some idiots will claim I'm spoiled due to my brother being Lucifer. Still, if he expresses interest in the Occult Research Club, I may be able to recruit him that way."

"Seriously? A pervert like that?"

"The file included a psychological profile," Rias said. "For all his perversion, Issei, especially when compared to the other two members of the Perverted Trio, has actually gone out of his way to help others."

"Huh. I wonder if this is the same Issei that Irina spoke of," Harry mused. "She spoke highly of him, of how much she missed him, almost as much as she ranted about God."

"It's probably not a coincidence. After you discussed her with me and my brother, we did a bit of digging, and Irina definitely lived in Kuoh for some of her childhood. She's currently in training in the Vatican, alongside Xenovia Quarta, daughter of Griselda Quarta, one of the Church's best exorcists, and probably one of the most reasonable. Some Exorcists, as long as they're not on a mission to kill Devils, can be reasoned with. And others are just fanatics. Of course, the worst of the worst get expelled and become Stray Exorcists, like Freed Sellzen. I've heard Bellatrix Lestrange is a lot like him."

"Wow. That bad?"

"Worse. To my knowledge, Lestrange never raped anyone…"

* * *

They had lunch, after buying it, in a park, sitting on the edge of a fountain. As they ate, Harry asked, "Rias, does my father have any saving graces?"

Rias stiffened, before she relaxed. "I'll give him this much, he's good at Rating Games. He may let his Peerage do all the dirty work, but it doesn't actually mean he's a bad fighter. And one thing that can't be denied is his love for his sister. He's just…a spoiled brat more than anything, not unlike your half-brother. But I fear what will happen to my Peerage if the wedding goes through, to say nothing of what will happen to me. At best, I will be a trophy wife, relegated to making babies while he gallivants with his harem. At worst…well, I don't want to think about it."

"…Sorry."

"No, no…he's your father, it's only natural. And in truth, speaking to Lily about him…he must've been kinder once, or at least kinder to Lily. Maybe you've inherited what kindness he used to have." She giggled, tracing Harry's face with a slender finger. "You look more like your mother, but you do have some of Riser's better features. It's so strange, seeing them so gentle and nice…well, when you're not brooding."

"I don't brood!"

"Yes, you do. Hermione told me. You can outbrood Sasuke Uchiha on one of your bad days."

"Oi, I'm nothing like that emo ninja!" Harry snapped, albeit good-naturedly. "Anyway, Kakashi is much better. He's cool. Lazy and perverted, but cool. Naruto's an annoying little oik for so long, it's not funny, Sasuke's got a stick up where the sun doesn't shine, and Sakura is a fangirl."

"You've actually read _Naruto?_ "

"Dora showed me. I thought it sad that Haku died, frankly."

"Huh. Oh, wait, Viz's English translations are still lagging behind. You haven't even seen Jiraiya or Tsunade yet, I don't think, let alone the Akatsuki. They're up to Volume 29 here, and that's without going into the stuff they're publishing in _Weekly Shounen Jump_. Sakura can actually kick arse now. Still a fangirl, though."

Harry snickered at that. Then, he said, "You really love Japan, don't you?"

"I love a lot of human arts and culture. I like some British TV shows, for example. But most of the stuff I love is in Japan. They have really wild imaginations, the Japanese. Their culture is filled with paradoxes. They have a very rigid hierarchy in society, and yet, you see all these strange fashions and art and ideas. Video games, manga, anime…and they encourage fans to do their thing. Look at _doujinshi_ , which are fan comics. They have all sorts of genres that you don't see as much in the West, like mecha or harem or _isekai_ or magical girls."

"Isekai?"

"When the main character ends up in another world. That stuff has been done in the West, true, like with Edgar Rice Burrough's Mars stories, but they do that a lot here. And to be fair, another reason why I like Japan is that even the mundane people are less likely to recognise me here."

"Sorry?"

"To anyone with a decent knowledge of Demonology, especially if they've read the _Ars Goetia_ , they might recognise the name 'Gremory' as being a Devil's name, and that could cause trouble. Also, Europe is more under the control of the Vatican and the Christian Church in general, compared to Japan and much of Asia. And while relations between the Shinto Pantheon and Devils are a bit fraught, they're not as bad as the tensions between us and the two Angel factions. As much as I disagree with my father about the contract he had drawn up between myself and Riser, he has indulged me in other things, and allowing me to administer territory here in Japan was one of them."

"And you're trying to have a normal, peaceful life here?"

"As much as possible. Like I've said before, here, my family name means little. To most students at Kuoh High, I am merely an exotic foreign student with an interest in the occult. I'm a little more privileged than most, true, but I feel…freer here. Freer to be myself, where I, along with my Peerage, are not burdened with the expectations my station demands of me. My Peerage are more free to be the friends I want them to be, and not just my servants."

"…You still draw a lot of attention, you know. Given that you're one of the most beautiful girls I have ever met," Harry said.

Rias chuckled. "Thanks. Harry…do you feel any better?"

Harry considered that, before he nodded. "Yeah. I guess a change of scenery, even if it was only for a while, did me some good."

"I'm sure. Actually, I have an idea, Harry. Hermione told me that there is a tradition during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. At Christmas, the Yule Ball is held. For the Champions, it's compulsory to attend. For everyone else, well, it's open to Fourth Year students and up. If you wish to attend…I'll be your date." She held up her hand. "Now, I know what you're thinking. People at Hogwarts know that you and Hermione are, if not together, then strong friends. Hermione has formulated a plan, and a cover story to tell others. I am a relative of hers who wished to attend the Yule Ball, and, as a favour, allowed me to be your date. She will be taking Blaise Zabini instead."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Aside from the Room of Requirement, I haven't really been to Hogwarts proper. I've been to Mahoutokoro briefly, accompanying my brother on a discussion with the headmaster there, and to a few places around the world, including Britain. Don't worry, Harry. Hermione won't miss out. She's as dear a friend to me as she is to you. I don't want to come between you…well," she waggled her eyebrows a little, "unless you're into that sort of thing. I mean, I'm all up for a ménage a trois…"

"Rias…" Harry groaned.

"What, you're not?"

"…I'm still getting used to the fact that polyamory is acceptable in Devil society," Harry said. "It's nothing to do with your looks. You're beautiful, and you're nice and kind and everything a decent man could ask for."

"I know. Your mind is still very much that of a human. While humans do succumb to lust, most societies frown on polyamory. But Devils are creatures of sin and hedonism, so we have a somewhat more lax view, with most thinking, as long as it's consensual, then there's no problem. Hermione and I have agreed to share, and Akeno may join in too. She likes you, especially now that you've made it clear her heritage means little to you."

Harry, trying to wrap his head around that revelation, said, "Okay…but Shirone's off the table. She's too young for me, and I see her as a little sister I never had. Like Luna."

"Of course. Shirone likes you like a brother anyway. Though you'd better mind that Kuroka doesn't try to jump you."

"I still find it hard to believe that those two are sisters. They act so differently," Harry said.

"Shirone was fairly reserved before Kuroka killed their own master. You have to realise, Kuroka raised Shirone from a very young age, Shirone doesn't even remember her parents. Kuroka flirts and acts playful to hide her pain, while Shirone just hides everything. In addition, despite Kuroka's name being cleared, Shirone's still skittish about using _senjutsu_ , as well as revealing that she's a nekomata, thanks to the pogrom. I've tried to draw her out of her shell, with mixed success. There was a time when she only went by 'Koneko' as a rejection of her heritage, but Hermione and I, along with Kuroka, persuaded her otherwise." Rias sighed. "In any case, calling herself 'koneko' doesn't mean much of a rejection, as in Japanese, it means 'kitten'."

"She's a cute kitten," Harry said. "But…don't you have shrinks in the Underworld?"

Rias chuckled sadly. "Oh yes. But you know the old joke. _How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb? One, but the lightbulb has to want to change_. So, instead, I try to be there for them, to support them. Hermione's been a great help. Gasper is a little more willing to venture outside his room, for example. Shirone's more confident about herself, as is Akeno. Kiba…well, I'm not sure what will heal his wounds. Never mind. Let's not get caught up in that. Come on, let's get going. There's more I want to show you before you have to go back to Hogwarts…"

 **CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's come to Kuoh…and we've got a little cameo from Issei. This wasn't meant to do much, just build Harry and Rias' relationship more. Next chapter, I want to develop Ddraig more, as well as have Harry find out about the dragons…and whether he still wants to help Charlie survive.**

 **I wrote in that little bit at the end to, well, act as an antidote to a lot of Rias-bashing. I do get that some things she could have handled a lot better in canon (like leaving Issei to become a Light Spear shish kebab), but I still believe Rias is a decent, if somewhat selfish, person. She's tried to help her Peerage, but the best she can do is be supportive. Akeno wouldn't be able to let go of her hatred for her father, Kiba still has his revenge-boner for anything Holy Swords-related, and both Koneko and Gasper are worried about their innate powers, albeit expressing it in different ways.**

 **Review-answering time! I should clarify what I meant by 'Pawn-Bishop' when I said in the previous chapter. I'm not talking about combining Evil Pieces. Rather, I'm going with the canonical scaling. By 'Pawn-Bishop', I mean that Remus, due to being effectively a Bishop, needs the Bishop value in Pawns to be converted, three Pawns. You guys misunderstood.**

 **...Except I forgot that he's a Knight now. D'oh!**

 **TheRagRizDragon** **: I have read SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan's story, yes. Rias-bashing stories don't really do it for me, despite her faults. I wondered why I hadn't read that Ronin2106's stories…and then when I looked them up, I saw that they used OCs. I generally avoid fanfics with OCs as main characters. And while I'm fine with Zeoticus being bashed (and maybe, to a degree, Sirzechs), other members of the Gremorys are another matter. It's a personal preference thing. And I personally beg to differ, having flicked through the stories, as the bashing seemed fairly unreasonable. So sorry, but those stories don't do it for me. Still, thanks anyway for the compliments.**

 **surviversp** **: Thank you. I actually prefer this gentle route for character development here.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	16. Chapter 15: Of Dragons and Brothers

**CHAPTER 15:**

 **OF DRAGONS AND BROTHERS**

It was a free period, and Harry was walking along the shores of the Black Lake. He didn't feel like doing any intensive training in the Room of Requirement, and with Kuroka doing some digging into Voldemort's past, he wasn't sure what he could achieve anyway. Kuroka was the strongest member of Hermione's Peerage, after all. Still, walking was exercise in of itself, and he needed to get away from Hogwarts for now. Even the need to study for his OWLs was on the backburner.

However, it also had a side benefit. He was getting to know Ddraig. After all, it helped if he was on good terms with the being supplying him with power.

"So, how did you and Albion come to be on such bad terms?"

 ** _Honestly, I can't remember. You know how it is with rivalries and battles that drag on for so long_** , the Dragon remarked, sounding even a little embarrassed at having forgotten. **_The participants forget what caused them to battle in the first place. There's also…well, if you ever can avoid meeting a Dragon called Tiamat, do so. She and I…have history, and we parted on bad terms_**.

"Yeesh. Just…I'm not going to fight that guy Issei unless he's strong enough…or if he really pisses me off."

 ** _Agreed. I get no pleasure from defeating weaklings anyway_** , Ddraig said. **_I have my pride. You and Issei may be destined to fight, but I would rather it be a battle than a one-sided massacre. Though if Rias does add him to her Peerage, we'll have to restrain ourselves, for her sake. She seems to be a fine young woman for a Devil. Killing Issei, even if he's the White Dragon Emperor, would cause her upset, to say nothing if you suffer the same fate. While what you two may not yet be love, it is clear that you already care for each other_**.

"Thanks for the consideration. Anyway, there are various stages of using your power, right? There's using the Boost, which is basically doubling my power to my limits…you said I could transfer that power to others…and I can also cover my entire body with armour."

 ** _Yes. This is all without attaining Balance Breaker. Rather, as you grow with using my power, these abilities will become available. That being said, beware the Juggernaut Drive. Should you lose yourself to despair and rage, this mode will activate. It effectively makes you a berserker, shortening your lifespan in exchange for power, but you're unable to tell friend from foe. I have had many hosts succumb to that out of desperation. It rarely ends well_**.

"Got it. Hey, Ddraig…do you ever have your hosts…well, get to know you?"

 ** _Sometimes. Other times, I'm just a source of power, but I do have a number of hosts who try to talk to me_**.

"Must get lonely in there," Harry said. "So, if I'm to use your power, might as well be nice to you. Besides, don't anger dragons, right?"

 ** _Yes, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup_** , Ddraig chuckled. **_I appreciate the effort, partner_**.

Harry nodded. "Still…in a way, I'm sorry you're not free."

 ** _So am I. But the devastation we wrought during the wars between the Three Factions is still fresh in the minds of those old enough to remember it. It was so bad, they called a truce to deal with Albion and I_** , Ddraig said. **_I…regret the wanton destruction Albion and I caused during our clash, the lives lost, in hindsight. It's not an easy thing for a Dragon such as myself to admit, given our pride, but…while I do not wish to remain a prisoner for eternity, I can't do anything about that. I am bound to the Boosted Gear for eternity, and only God Himself can undo that. And I doubt that He is inclined towards helping me. The only other powers that could undo that, if possible, are either other deities, or else the likes of Ophis or Trihexa. Ophis is not someone I believe who would be inclined to help, even if the Lovegood girl is on good terms with her, and Trihexa…well, they wouldn't_**.

"Trihexa?"

 ** _The Apocalyptic Beast_** , Ddraig said, before he intoned, **'Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666** ** _'._** **_The Book of Revelations, Chapter 13. That part, admittedly, somewhat obfuscates the truth, but there is indeed a Beast with the number 666 associated with it. And it is chaos incarnate. I have heard that it is sealed away, hopefully never to emerge anew_**.

"Yikes. I feel increasingly outclassed in this world," Harry said quietly, wincing somewhat at the recitation of the Bible verse and the pain it brought him. Some of it seemed to be mitigated, though, maybe Ddraig's doing.

 ** _It's understandable. You didn't know the full scope of what you had entered into until a couple of months ago_** , Ddraig responded. **_That you've progressed so far in such a short period of time is a minor miracle in of itself_**.

Harry nodded absently, though he noticed a girl in Hogwarts robes approaching. An unfamiliar one…with no House piping. He frowned, and it took him a moment to realise he'd seen that face, albeit as an adult, rather than as a teenaged girl. There was the dark hair and purple eyes. "Raynare?" he asked. "What're you doing here?"

"Trying to be incognito," she said, her voice no longer a sultry purr but closer to a teenager. "If anyone was watching, they wouldn't think twice about a Hogwarts student approaching you, rather than someone in my favourite getup. I would be rather conspicuous otherwise. I just found out some interesting information. Lord Azazel suggested I give it to you, as a thank you for allowing him to examine the Boosted Gear. Dohnaseek and Kalawarner are off meeting Kokabiel over some matter or other, and Mittelt has gone to Edinburgh for shopping, calling Hogsmeade boring. Can't say I blame her. There's a long list of stuff I don't like about human cities, but shopping helps make up for it. Though if prior experience is any guide, she's probably going to be thought a kid skipping school. She never got the knack of changing her form."

"Poor thing. Sorry, who's Kokabiel again? Hermione and Azazel mentioned him. I presume he's a high-ranking Fallen, right?"

"Yeah. He, along with Shemhazai and Baraquiel, are amongst Azazel's immediate underlings," Raynare said. "Anyway, as it happened, I was in the Three Broomsticks when I overheard an interesting conversation. They thought they were being clever, putting up Privacy Wards and Notice Me Not charms, but they don't work as much on a Fallen. That fatuous idiot Bagman had a rather heated discussion with a man called Charlie Weasley, and he said something about…"

"Dragons, right?" Harry asked. He knew his brother's namesake worked on a Romanian dragon preserve.

"Oh? Ah, yes, you know something about the Weasleys, don't you?" Raynare said. "I forgot. Yes, dragons. Specifically, they need dragons for the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Originally, they only needed three, but given your younger brother's sudden admission into the Tournament, they now need a fourth. And Charlie Weasley is rather put out, because transporting a dragon from Eastern Europe to Scotland is, understandably, a fairly big undertaking. Leaving aside transportation, there's penning, trying to keep ornery dragons in line…oh, and did I mention that Bagman's bright idea is that _they be nesting mothers?_ "

"…Merlin," Harry said. "Just when I thought he couldn't be any dumber than I thought…I hear this. Is his IQ in the single digits?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. Actually, that moron's got a gambling addiction, and has taken out loans that he refuses to pay back. And given that the Goblins are amongst them, you can imagine how happy they are, which is to say not at all. Hell, I was in Gringotts shortly after the Quidditch World Cup, and I heard them cursing in Gobbledegook about how Bagman swindled them with leprechaun gold."

"He _must_ be suicidal if he thinks he could swindle Goblins, especially with leprechaun gold," Harry said flatly. "He couldn't possibly be that stupid. I mean, I knew he was ridiculously stupid, but swindling Goblins, and with such a cheap trick?"

"Harry, I have lived for centuries. And one of Albert Einstein's attributed sayings comes to mind: _only two things are infinite, being the universe and human stupidity. Only, I'm not sure about the universe_." Harry snorted openly, as did Raynare. "Seriously, I've seen humans do the most extraordinarily stupid things for many reasons. And not just humans. Then again, I can't talk, given the reason I Fell. Anyway, I've told you what I know. It's up to you what you do with the information. Frankly, I'm all up for seeing the Brat Who Lived becoming the Brat Who Got Barbecued, but that's my opinion. Warn him if you want, see if he shows any gratitude. Just remember, ties of blood don't necessarily mean anything. Look at what happened to Cain and Abel. While it didn't quite happen like it did in the Bible, it's not far from the truth."

"I'll consider that. But thanks, Raynare. I know you're not fond of Devils…but you've been good to me so far. I hope you find someone who can make you happy, even if it's not Azazel. And even if they're black, your wings are beautiful, along with the rest of you."

Raynare emitted a rather morose chuckle, turning away from him. "…Don't say such things," she said quietly, looking over her shoulder. "I may like you, despite myself, but there may come a time when I have orders to kill you. The Three Factions are in a ceasefire, not at peace. Becoming friends will only increase the pain when betrayal happens."

"And yet, you're showing your back to me."

"…Yes, I am, aren't I?" Raynare said quietly, almost surprised at what he pointed out.

"Raynare…you've treated me far better than my half-brother and his father, the man who disowned me, along with Sirius Black. It doesn't mean you've treated me like we're friends…but I think we should be. It's not what we're born as…but what we do that defines what kind of people we are. And that's what we are. I'm only half-human, and you weren't even born human, but we're still people. Because if Devils and Fallen can be friends, it means there's some hope for peace. It'd be stupid to believe it would last forever, but at least it can last for a while."

"A foolish dream," Raynare said, though her tone was wistful. "All dreams die when the sleeper awakens, every last one with no exception(1)."

As she walked away, he said, "You know, you should try dressing in other clothes than that fetish getup you usually do. You'd look good in most things, Raynare."

She scoffed, and kept walking. "I like those clothes, thank you very much…"

* * *

Even before he made it back to the school, he had made the decision. As much as Charlie Potter had hurt him out of spite, Harry couldn't bring himself to allow Charlie to go in unawares, and against four nesting mother dragons, in addition. The question was not if he'd tell Charlie, but how. After all, Charlie wouldn't actually trust what Harry had heard. So he needed a proxy.

Or maybe two.

Harry smirked to himself when he realised he had the perfect proxies. While Fred and George Weasley weren't actually friends with his half-brother anymore, they were still relatively friendly, partly because of Charlie's relation to one of the Marauders. They'd be willing to pass on a message, and they could potentially cover for Harry by claiming to have heard their Charlie, Charlie Weasley, let something slip about dragons. Plus, they were in negotiations with himself and Hermione to become Harry's Rooks. They wanted some capital for a joke shop they wanted to open up once they finished Hogwarts, but Harry and Hermione couldn't give them that yet: Harry's money was restricted to what the Tonks family's finances were, and there was no guarantee he could access any Phenex holdings. And Hermione wasn't allowed to access so much of the Bael finances at her age.

However, Harry and Hermione, after some thought, decided to put them in touch with Azazel. Not for finance, but the Fallen Angel was something of a closet prankster, and he might make a good sounding board for the Weasley Twins. The Weasley Twins were considering joining Harry's Peerage anyway, if only because they were amused at the conniption their mother would inevitably have as a result, thus making it a most glorious prank.

The Twins were all too happy to deliver the message to Harry's half-brother, albeit after faking confusion as to which Charlie they needed to talk to. Harry also decided to let Cedric Diggory know, albeit directly. The other Champions could find out on their own, though. According to Hermione, cheating in trying to discern what some Tasks were was an unofficial tradition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Soon, however, they would be having a rather vital meeting. Harry, along with acquaintances and friends old and new, would be meeting to discuss a vital issue. Voldemort, and his Horcruxes…

 **CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, some development of Ddraig and Raynare's characters. Again, having Raynare talk to Harry was a complete accident, but a serendipitous one, born of a need for Harry to learn about the dragons, but before they may have actually been shipped over from Romania. I'm actually enjoying developing her character so that, while close to her canon portrayal, is moving away from that, as well as showing some depth. While she won't be added to the harem of this story by any means, who'd like me to do a Harry/Raynare story one day? And, for that matter, given that it's a pairing that intrigues me, what about a Harry/Asia story? Asia won't be in the harem here either (if she makes an appearance, Harry will be more like an older brother figure), but I'm curious about people's opinions for these pairings.**

 **On a weird side note, I realised** ** _Cambion_** **sounds a bit like** ** _Campion_** **, as in the old detective novel series (and no, not** ** _Campione!_** **). Hell, I keep on hearing bits of the theme tune of the TV adaptation that starred former** ** _Doctor Who_** **actor Peter Davison.**

 **Finally, as usual, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but I've written about a third of it just prior to posting this one. Consider this a late Halloween present, along with my usual one-shot (my** ** _Tokyo Ghoul/Black Lagoon_** **crossover** ** _The Cleaner with a Kagune_** **) and that chapter of my** ** _Tokyo Ghoul_** **crossover** ** _Raptor of the 20th Ward_** **, which were posted earlier.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Gabriel Herrol** **: I'm glad you liked it. While I thought having Harry kiss Rias in front of Issei would do the trick, I realised that they weren't quite at that stage, and it felt just a wee bit tacky for Harry to kiss Rias just to make Issei jealous and to understand the boundaries. Holding hands was more subtle and relatively gentlemanly, but would get the message across.**

 **sandmanwake** **: I decided that just saying God's name wouldn't hurt them, if only because of this fic. I've noticed they're able to say it fine in canon. It seems to be prayer and Bible verses, and I decided that it seems to be actually reciting Bible verses rather than, say, using sayings derived from the Bible.**

 **Jostanos** **: Maybe, but that will be for, well, a sequel, if I do one, set in Kuoh.**

 **jiongu-naruto** **: I have no plans to include Kuroka into the harem at this point, though she will be her usual flirtatious self. I actually prefer her Japanese voice actress: doing Kuroka as a sultry temptress is a valid interpretation, but I prefer the more playful cat voice of her Japanese actress. Kunou…probably won't become a member of Harry's Peerage, though I can see her becoming yet another little sister figure for Harry. However, we will have another blonde girl from** ** _DxD_** **canon become a member of Harry's Peerage (but not part of his harem). This won't happen until the end of the fic, though.**

 **FreeTraderBeowulf** **: I do bash in a lot of my more serious works, but I do try to give them reasons for it, derived from canon. Dumbledore is pretty much my usual target, but I do try to give him more than the usual 'Greater Good' malarkey, or at least make him less fixated on Harry's death (as many do), and more fixated on being a control freak stage-managing Harry's life.**

 **Xaax** **: 1. Yes. 2. I haven't decided. 3. No, Harry and Fawkes will get along swimmingly, due to both Harry's Phenex blood, and Harry being a decent person. I believe Fawkes would be fine with moral beings, even if they were Devils. 4. There are none planned. 5. I had nothing planned, but I may just consider using the Sword of Gryffindor. Thanks. 6. No. He doesn't need them. 7. As mentioned above, it's a possibility.**

 **1\. Raynare is paraphrasing a line Gilgamesh uses prior to unleashing Ea on Iskandar and his army in** ** _Fate/Zero_** **.**


	17. Chapter 16: A History of Darkness

**CHAPTER 16:**

 **A HISTORY OF DARKNESS**

An ancient wizard, a mixed bunch of Devils, a Fallen Angel, and descendants of ancient heroes all walk into a room. It sounds like the setup for a joke, but in fact it was in deadly earnest. They were here to discuss a very serious topic indeed. Namely, Lord Voldemort. Or, as he was born, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Most of those in the room, Harry knew already. Aside from Hermione, Rias and their respective Peerages (save for Gasper), there was Sirzechs, Grayfia, Azazel, and, more astonishingly, Dumbledore, who has asked to be there. He was probably one of the few humans who would willingly go into the Underworld, not counting the more fanatical Exorcists, who would go there to wipe out its inhabitants. Lily was giving him the evil eye for what had happened to Harry, though. But there was also the associates of Kuroka, which Harry was yet to meet until now.

There were three of them. Two of them, Arthur and LeFay Pendragon, were teenaged descendants of King Arthur. Both had blonde hair and attractive features, with Arthur being rather stern, serious, dressed in a severe suit and wearing glasses, keeping his fragment of Excalibur (the famous Holy Sword having been fragmented) in a suitcase. Harry couldn't help but notice some tension between him and Kiba, though Kiba's glares seemed to be mostly towards Arthur's suitcase. LeFay Pendragon was younger, dressed as a stereotypical witch, albeit somewhat colourfully, and was rather cute, though her expression for now was rather solemn and serious.

The third of Kuroka's associates was Bikou. A tall, sardonic-looking young man with the air of a fighter about him, he was actually the descendant of the famous Sun Wukong, aka Son Goku, the Monkey King from _Journey to the West_. He even had a similar staff to Sun Wukong.

In addition, Hermione's parents were also present, for the first time. Harry hadn't seen them since that time at Diagon Alley last year, and they certainly looked different without their glamours. Hermione clearly favoured her father Dante as far as her face was concerned, though the hair was definitely her nekomata mother's.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. Of all those present, he had known Voldemort longest, and was thus a de facto chairman of this meeting, even if technically his seniority was far outstripped by Sirzechs, Grayfia and Azazel at the bare minimum. "Now, this meeting is to discuss what we know so far about Lord Voldemort, born Tom Marvolo Riddle. While I know something of his history, the rest is mostly conjecture. I have been meaning to interview a number of people who either knew Tom, or else were victims of him, even if by proxy. Also, I believe this young lady and her colleagues have made some headway themselves."

Kuroka and her associates nodded, though it was Arthur who spoke up. "Most of our research, admittedly, did not turn up much. My sister and I are not particularly well-liked by the magical world, especially as she learned magic outside of Hogwarts, and indeed outside of the Ministry's purview. However, we do have substantial holdings at Gringotts, and the Goblins respect the name of Pendragon, as long as the holder of the name can back it up. So we do have a lead that could be of use."

"Well, we'll come back to that, Mr Pendragon," Dumbledore said. He then went into explaining what he knew of Voldemort's childhood and immediate ancestry, of how he suspected him to be born of an Amortentia-fuelled affair between Tom Riddle, the local Muggle lord of Little Hangleton, and Merope Gaunt, a near-Squib from the heavily inbred Gaunt family. Merope died shortly after giving birth to her son, and her family perished later, as did Voldemort's biological father.

Dumbledore went on to explain how he suspected, but never could confirm, that Tom Marvolo Riddle had been the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets. Hagrid was blamed, and was only exonerated recently thanks to Charlie. Dumbledore also suspected that Riddle was already making Horcruxes at that time, and may have even used the death of his biological father to create one, framing his uncle Morfin Gaunt for the deaths (though a Muggle man called Frank Bryce was also suspected, albeit by the Muggle authorities).

He went on to give a potted history of what Voldemort did, after leaving Hogwarts, before eventually going on to reveal what he now believed happened on that fateful night: Voldemort intended to create a Horcrux with the death of either Harry or Charles. However, Lily's protection caused the Killing Curse to backfire, rebounding on Voldemort and shattering his soul, already fragile from creating a number of Horcruxes. This was why a Horcrux had been present in Harry. Dumbledore also knew for a fact that one HAD been present in Charles, but had been erased by the Basilisk venom when he went into the Chamber of Secrets. He knew for a fact that the Diary had to have been one.

"…Did you know that what was in my children were Horcruxes?" Lily said in a dangerous tone once he was finished.

"I only suspected and feared, especially the latter," Dumbledore said. "I feared, because I believed that destroying the Horcrux would be lethal to the living thing bearing it, and I did not want to be responsible for their deaths. After Charles turned out to lose his Horcrux, I was trying to find a way to remove it from Harry without killing him."

"I believe I have something of note," Narcissa said. "My sister Bella bragged to me about being favoured by the Dark Lord, and was given a rather elaborate goblet. She claimed it to be the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff. Given that my fool of an ex-husband had been given that Diary, I thought it was worth pointing out. In addition, I also believe that Reggie was brought into the Dark Lord's confidence, given comments both my sister and my ex-husband made."

"Reggie?" Harry asked. The name sounded vaguely familiar from one of Andromeda's rants about her family.

"Regulus Arcturus Black, no doubt," Dumbledore said. "Sirius' younger brother, and one of Voldemort's most trusted lieutenants."

"Indeed. Which means there may be a Horcrux at 12 Grimmauld Place," Narcissa said. "Assuming it hasn't been destroyed. And my sister…"

"We've already found that one, _nya_ ," Kuroka said. "The Goblins, once we explained the situation, began an audit of the vaults of known Death Eaters, or at least those still in Azkaban. They can legally search those vaults for dark artifacts, _nya_. Plus, they despise Voldemort. They detected one in Bitchy-Tricks' vault. The Cup of Helga Hufflepuff. Its ki stank something fierce. Got my hackles up and made me sneeze, _nya_."

"Yeah, me too," Bikou remarked. "Stank to high heaven of dark magic and rot."

"Has it been destroyed?" Dumbledore asked.

"Hermione wanted me to hold off, and I asked the Goblins to keep it in storage. They can remove the Horcrux easily, but Ajuka Beelzebub is trying to formulate a ritual that will get rid of them all in one go, and either take Voldemort with them, or else render him mortal, _nya_."

"That being said," LeFay Pendragon said, "Kuroka now has the scent, so to speak, of Voldemort's Horcruxes, and so does Bikou. If they use their _senjutsu_ , they can detect them now, albeit from a relatively short distance, of maybe a hundred feet at most, due to the fact that they are fragments of a soul. We'd have to find likely hiding spots for the Horcruxes, though, and get them close. We figure at least one was at Hogwarts, probably in the Room of Requirement or the Chamber of Secrets. We also thought of Little Hangleton, either at the Riddle Manor, or else the Gaunt residence."

"Hmm. This use of the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff concerns me," Dumbledore said. "The Founder's most treasured artifacts were thought to be lost. I doubt that the Sword of Godric Gryffindor would ever suffer a Horcrux, and I would have noticed one on the Sorting Hat. But if Voldemort has created Horcruxes on other such artifacts…if he has found them…"

"The Locket of Salazar Slytherin, according to records, did use to be in the possession of the Gaunts," LeFay said. "There was also a family ring, said to been passed down from the Peverells."

Azazel scoffed. "No doubt using it to bolster their claims that they were Purebloods through and through. I met the Gaunt family about a hundred years back when they summoned me rather rudely to demand arcane knowledge they had no right to. Then again, I think that ring was more than it seemed. I reckon it was one of the Hallows. It looked like the Resurrection Stone of yore."

Dumbledore's attention was on him suddenly. "Truly?"

"Hey, all I can tell you is that that ring had more power in that ugly little stone it had than I thought," Azazel said. "And it looked familiar. I can't tell you for sure whether it was that particular Hallow. Then again, you're one to talk, considering you've got the Elder Wand, Albus."

Dumbledore winced as all attention went to him. "I did not choose to gain the Elder Wand, Azazel. It was an unwanted prize from defeating Grindlewald. I would readily trade it for the Resurrection Stone."

"Why would you not want the Elder Wand?" Narcissa asked. "It's quite possibly the most powerful wand in the whole world."

"And the most coveted," Sirzechs pointed out. "In _The Three Brothers_ , the brother with the Elder Wand had his throat slit after showing off the power of the wand, remember? And the wand was stolen by his murderer."

"Yeah. The Hallows themselves are almost like a pseudo-Sacred Gear, albeit low-tier ones," Azazel said. "But the Elder Wand is the one almost everyone wants. The irony being that Albus here doesn't actually want that power. Anyway, we'd better get back on track. So, possible places to search for Horcruxes: Hogwarts, Little Hangleton and 12 Grimmauld Place. Also, we need to think about how many he'd make. Assuming the ones he made with Harry and Charles were accidental, I'd say he'd have made a maximum of six."

"My thoughts exactly," Dumbledore said with a nod. "Though I believe he intended to make the sixth with Harry or Charles' death, he may have created the sixth one since, albeit while possessing either Quirrell, or else in a rudimentary homunculus body."

"Why six?" Harry asked, putting his hand up.

Hermione and Lily looked at each other, before Lily said, "Seven is a powerful number in Arithmancy, Harry. Six Horcruxes, plus Voldemort's soul, or what's left of it in his body."

"Which means," Dante Bael said quietly, "if the theory about Voldemort using the Founder's little toys as Horcruxes is correct, three of them are those. The Cup, the Locket, and the Diadem. Assuming he found the Diadem, anyway. The Diary makes four. What would the other two be?"

"We can only speculate," Dumbledore said. "The Gaunt family ring is a possibility, but we will need to be open-minded as to what the others are, especially if he hasn't obtained any of the other Founders' artifacts. If Lord Beelzebub can formulate a ritual to remove them all at once, then it can save some trouble."

"Indeed," Narcissa sniffed. "I for one do not wish to see the Dark Lord rise again. I prefer stability, and to tell the truth, since the last war, Andi gave me some interesting documents on inbreeding studies the Muggles have done. Unfortunately, my husband did more of raising Draco than I did. I will try to take a firmer hand. ' _Wait till my father hears of this_ ' indeed."

"A shame I can't do the same for Charlie, but my revival will pose too many sticky questions at this time," Lily said with a sigh.

"Aside from those in living things, what's the SOP for getting rid of Horcruxes?" Bikou asked, before adding, with a wry smirk, "I mean, aside from a liberal application of brute force, which always gets my vote. The Goblins have a ritual apparently, but if we don't have time for that, what do we do?"

"Fiendfyre and Basilisk venom work, according to what little literature I could find," Dumbledore said. "So too can the Killing Curse, if overpowered enough. That being said, I would prefer that any historical artifacts that have Horcruxes are handed over to the Goblins to deal with, if they can remove the Horcruxes without harming the objects."

"If they present a clear and present danger to anyone around them, then either myself or Hermione will destroy them," Rias said. "The Bael family's Power of Destruction would certainly be more than enough, I'm sure. But I think Lord Beelzebub should be given time to formulate a ritual to remove all the Horcruxes simultaneously. If Voldemort is truly the one behind Charles Potter's entry into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, then he must be up to something."

"I believe so too. The Tri-Wizard Tournament's Third Task takes place around the summer solstice, and any ritual used to return Voldemort to his height of power would best take place then," Dumbledore said. "One of the rituals demands the blood of an enemy, one who has been put through trials and is at bay for part of the prior year, and I believe that to be the one they will use. I have tried to get Fudge, Crouch and Bagman to cancel the Tournament, but I have been overruled, and James Potter has decided that Charles should remain, to further the glory and honour of the Potter name. Even with my positions of power, my influence is still more limited than I'd like. Therefore, with all due respect to Lord Beelzebub, we need to try and find and destroy as many of the Horcruxes before late June, as well as locate Voldemort himself."

"Voldemort must have someone as a loyal patsy," Remus mused. "Remember the Dark Mark cast over the Quidditch World Cup, the one that sent the rioting ex-Death Eaters into a tizzy? Voldemort has at least one loyal follower near him, maybe two."

"Why two?" Emmaline Granger asked. "I mean, I know this Peter Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban, and he might be one of them, but…"

"There may be another. Pettigrew wouldn't dare show his face at the World Cup," Remus said bitterly. "And remember, _someone_ put Charlie's name into the Goblet of Fire. It's unlikely he would have shown his face at Hogwarts."

"I can exclude Severus," Dumbledore said. "I interrogated him about it. And yes, I can trust him. Karkaroff, Bagman and Crouch are other matters entirely, though I think they'd be more likely to be catspaws rather than the masterminds. Bagman is of course infamous for his financial difficulties, and Karkaroff and Crouch may have people blackmailing them with dark secrets from their past."

"Well, I believe our next course of action is a fairly obvious one," Sirzechs decided, his usually goofy and casual demeanour gone, replaced by the most prominent Devil King. "We need to see if we can track down more of the Horcruxes. Kuroka, Bikou, I believe your first port of call should be to check Hogwarts. Even if your ability to detect Horcruxes is limited, it's better than nothing. As Dumbledore suggested, prioritise the Chamber of Secrets and the Room of Requirement. If one is found, then it needs to be handled with care. Some of them have been known to affect younger or weaker Devils, to say nothing of humans. Use protective gloves at the very least while handling them, or levitation charms if you can. There may be even compulsion charms to, say, get the discoverer to wear them and be either attacked by the Horcrux, or else by a curse. Resist that if you find you are doing so."

A chorus of acknowledgements echoed around the room. While Voldemort would not be a threat to the more powerful players in the room, he was a threat to those that the more powerful in this room held dear. And the stakes were real, and serious. Not to mention the fact that the disruption he caused would not be favourable to either the majority of Devils or the Fallen. No, better that they try to nip this particular problem in the bud soon…

 **CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Okay, I said the next chapter wouldn't be out for a while…and yet, this Council of Elrond-esque scene just sort of wrote itself. I hope Arthur, LeFay and Bikou weren't too OOC. The next chapter will have more development of the relationship between Harry and his partners, and should be out soon, as I have written most of it.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Guest Q** **: I'm not pulling a switcheroo, though I may be laying down the groundwork for Raynare to have a heel-face turn. A Harry/Raynare/Asia story isn't on the cards, though.**

 **the water omega** **: Sadly, I don't know those quotes. Maybe I could have had Harry counter with Griffith's speech about dreams from** ** _Berserk_** **, though.**

 **whitetigerwolf** **: There's no guarantees of either being done, by me anyway. If push comes to shove, I might even post a challenge for one if not both of them on your forums and DZ2's.**

 **Luke Dragneel** **: You may have a point, and maybe I should find Raynare a pairing from one of the other characters.**

 **vysirez** **: It's because they think Riser will never accept that state of affairs without a fight, so they're having Harry prepare for a Rating Game as a precaution. However, I have an interesting idea in mind for Riser later on in the fic that will put a new twist on the matter. There will still be a fight…but not in the way you think.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	18. Chapter 17: If Two's a Company, and

**CHAPTER 17:**

 **IF TWO'S A COMPANY AND THREE'S A CROWD, WHAT DOES THAT MAKE FOUR?**

After that meeting, Dumbledore and Narcissa departed back for the human realm, as did the Pendragons and Bikou and most of Hermione's Peerage (save for Kuroka), while Sirzechs, Grayfia, Azazel, and Hermione's parents dispersed to continue with their main duties. The rest of the weekend could be devoted to Harry, Rias, Hermione and their respective Peerages to bond. Once more, Rias decided to bring Harry and the others to Kuoh, especially as Harry expressed a desire to get to know Gasper a bit better.

While they were there, they were also splitting off somewhat. Lily and Remus had decided to go and see Sona, who was also staying at Kuoh High for the weekend, partly because going home to the Sitri estates meant being in close proximity to her sister, and Sona was somewhat embarrassed by her older sister's antics, as well as the insinuations Serafall teased her with about ' _loving her in a_ yuri _way_ '. In any case, Sona loved having intellectual stimulation, and Lily and Remus were intelligent enough to challenge her. Hermione would have gone, but she wanted to stay with Harry.

Shirone and Kuroka also wanted some alone time. Kuroka stated that she wanted to help train her sister to be able to use _senjutsu_ properly, and it was past time that she learned. And Hermione had confessed to Harry that she wished the two sisters would socialise more.

Harry realised that Kiba had been somewhat more tense during the meeting. Rias asked him not to bring it up: Kiba had issues with Arthur…or rather, what Arthur possessed. However, Kiba was back to normal, the handsome teen relaxing. Gasper also emerged on Rias' coaxing, though he was sitting in his little cardboard box.

"Well, your Peerage seems to be progressing nicely," Rias said idly as they had tea. "A Queen, a Knight, and a Bishop, with two Rooks potentially joining. I have to admit, your choices are quite good. Leaving aside bringing your mother into the Peerage as your Queen to revive her, she is also a talented battle mage, and would benefit from the boosts the Knight and Bishop traits give her. Remus is also accomplished in battle, and while he lacks the boost in magical power as a Bishop, the Knight abilities actually combine well with his lycanthropy. And Narcissa Malfoy, being of the Black family, knows many esoteric charms and curses I'm sure even most Devils won't know."

"I'm also willing to listen to their advice if need be," Harry said. "I'm new to this, as well as battle strategy. I'll admit, I'm pretty much a Gryffindor to the core, so that's pretty much rushing in where Angels fear to tread."

"I can attest to that," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. He had to admit, he liked her cat ears and tail. There'd been times in the Room of Requirement or the manor Hermione lived in where he couldn't resist petting her head like a cat…and she enjoyed that.

"That's a good idea. It's not a luxury I have with my Peerage, though. This isn't to say that they are incompetent at strategy. Actually, Gasper is quite good at strategy, especially given his playing of strategy games," Rias said. Gasper nodded shyly, pressing his index fingers together. "In any case, the Evil Pieces' functions help dictate how you use them, along with their particular specialties. In enemy territory, because Pawns can use Promotion, they can actually be quite versatile under the right circumstances. Knights do quick attacks, using their agility to confuse the enemy, and as you can see, it doesn't necessarily mean they have to use swords. That's the classical image of a Knight, and Kiba embodies it."

Kiba nodded, smiling. "But to use a mage for agile attacks is actually quite inspired."

"Rooks are like the tanks in MMORPGs, taking damage and dealing it back," Rias said. "Bishops and Queens are actually the most versatile, as magic itself is surprisingly versatile. Damaging magic, healing magic, support magic, you name it, and a Bishop could have it. Take Akeno, for example. While she is my Queen, she primarily acts as a Bishop. Her specialty is lightning magic, though she can also use some of the rituals used by her mother's family, albeit with due care to avoid damage to herself. Gasper here primarily has the Forbidden Balor View, but he is also a talented mage as well, and on Hermione's suggestion, I have been training him in support magic, as well as shadow magic, which he seems to have a particular talent for. I believe it's due in part to his Sacred Gear."

"And Kuroka…wasn't she originally a Bishop?"

"Yes. She specialises in _senjutsu_ , which is basically the shaping of lifeforce and natural energy, as well as _youjutsu_ , the crafting of illusions. One of your father's Bishops is your aunt Ravel, and she will doubtless have the fire magic innate to all Phenexes. And Riser's Queen, Yubelluna, is infamous as the 'Bomb Queen', capable of casting powerful explosion magic. Of course, most Devils have magical ability in one way or another. Sitris of course have command over water, and Lady Serafall has command over ice as well. Most with the Bael blood have the Power of Destruction, with my cousin Sairaorg being one of the exceptions, and he's one of the physically strongest Devils I know. I myself have already become known as the Crimson Ruin Princess, as the sheer power I have in my magic is quite substantial, though I will admit, my finesse needs working on." She sighed. "We rather got off-topic there."

"No, it's fine. I may not be as eager to learn as Hermione is, but this is quite good stuff," Harry said.

"I know, but we're here to socialise. We can only really meet on weekends, after all, and I want to make the most of every opportunity, Harry. Plus, after all that heavy stuff during that meeting, I want some lighter fare, frankly. Actually, we should really think about getting you a proper familiar. I know you have a mail owl in Hedwig, but she doesn't count as a familiar. But you'd have to go into the Familiar Forest on the full moon, and while Remus' control over his inner wolf is better now that he's a Devil, I don't think he's ready to risk being off the Wolfsbane yet."

"Well…I really should get to know you better. I mean, I know Hermione best out of everyone present, even before I learned she was a Cambion. So, umm…well, Gasper. Do you have anything you like to talk about?"

"N-n-not really," Gasper said. "I do sometimes ch-ch-chat online about anime and video games."

"Gasper's not much of a conversationalist, sadly," Rias said. "He doesn't mind listening, but participating is a bit much most of the time."

Harry gently patted the blonde Dhampir's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, Gasper. I was a bit shy myself for a while, after Potter disowned me." Gasper shot him a nervous smile. "What about you, Kiba?"

"I have to admit, there's not a lot I like to talk about. Then again, aside from what happened to me in the past…let's put it this way. I can make small talk well enough to humour the girls who come up to me."

"Well…what about the Perverted Trio?" Akeno asked. "Their transfer into Kuoh High has been successful."

Rias sighed, smiling slightly. "Yes. And they're rather entertaining, I have to say. Issei seems to be the sanest of the bunch, really, as obsessed as he is with harems and lewdness. I'll be keeping an eye on him, given that he's the White Dragon Emperor. His friends may also be Sacred Gear wielders, though their personalities are somewhat less tolerable. Matsuda is admittedly an accomplished photographer, but he perverts his gifts towards his lewdness, and he is also noted for preferring petite girls, which has earned him Shirone's ire. Motohama has rather good grades, but he's also known for discerning the measurements of a girl, calling it his 'Three Sizes Scouter'."

"Like in _Dragonball Z_ , right?" Harry asked.

Rias nodded. "Sona's also got her eye on a boy by the name of Genshirou Saji, who is also a bit of a pervert, but he may also have a Sacred Gear."

"Do you think it's worth it, having a pervert in your Peerage?" Hermione asked, her frown rather telling.

"Issei shouldn't be any problem. We have investigated his psyche, and despite his perversion, he is an altruistic person. In addition, once a member of a Peerage gains enough levels in power, as you well know, he or she can gain a Peerage of their own. I can use that as incentive, given his desire to have a harem, and maybe he'll grow out of it, or at least mature enough that he understands what having a harem actually means, unlike Riser."

"Speaking of harems, should we address the elephant in the room?" Akeno asked, the Nephilim having an impish smirk on her demure features. "I mean, we are considering sharing Harry between the three of us."

"Do not address the elephant in the room," Hermione said with a weary sigh. "Harry's still getting used to the idea of Rias and I sharing him. He's lived his whole life as a human until now, Akeno."

"He's got to get used to the Devil's life fast, Hermione. As much as some look down on Cambions, others will see, ' _Oh look, a spare Phenex with oodles of power, let's throw women at him and hope he knocks one up_ '," Akeno said. "Remember what happened to Lord Sirzechs when he gained the title of Lucifer, Rias."

"Yeah, I hear the stories from him and Grayfia all the time," Rias said. "Not to mention there was a lot of opposition to Grayfia and my brother wedding, due to her being a Lucifuge."

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

"The Lucifuges were a family who were dedicated to being servants of the original Lucifer family," Kiba, apparently looking to contribute, explained. "Many viewed Grayfia's defection to the New Satans Faction with suspicion, and even today, there still are suspicions."

"It goes without saying that many in the old guard consider her a traitor beyond compare, making the likes of Judas Iscariot or Brutus look loyal by comparison," Rias said. "Even with my nephew Milicas being born, she's still viewed with suspicion by many, even some of my own relatives in the Baels."

"I don't do the whole 'mistress' thing anyway," Harry said. "Like Hermione said, I'm still getting used to the idea of polyamory being acceptable amongst Devils. And I'm worried that I might hurt you, or else cause your friendships to go belly-up."

Akeno closed her eyes, smiling. "And you mean that. Harry, Hermione told us many stories about you, and I thought she was exaggerating your good nature somewhat. In fact, I think she understated it a little. Believe me, I've come across more than my fair share of boys who want me for little more than my body. Advantages of being part-Fallen, I suppose."

"What about you, Kiba?" Harry asked. "Don't you have someone you like amongst the Peerage?"

"…I'll be honest, Harry, I don't really think that much about that stuff usually. I have been in correspondence with Miss Greengrass, though," the blonde boy admitted, his smile becoming less of a mask briefly.

"Daphne?" Harry asked. "Nice choice. A bit cold and aloof, but she's a good person."

"And L-L-Luna is my friend too," Gasper stammered. "She even lends me some of her c-c-clothing to wear."

It said a lot about Harry being used to Luna's quirks that, upon learning that she potentially had a relationship with a crossdressing Dhampir with the ability to freeze time, his only reaction was to blink a few times while his brain rebooted. Then again, this was Luna Lovegood, after all. Compared to making friends with Ophis and her usual strange utterances, possibly being in a relationship with Gasper was a doddle by comparison. And considering how much she had been bullied at times, and how she enjoyed strange things, maybe something in Gasper called to her.

"Cross-Peerage relationships are allowed, right?" Harry asked.

"As long as the King consents, yes. It's an old-fashioned law, though. I think some paranoid idiots thought that one of their minions might demand a transfer to another Peerage if they think they'd be treated better there," Rias said. "I'm hoping one day to get some of these laws modified, replaced or repealed outright. Then again, I am seen as somewhat progressive in the way I treat my Peerage, as is my brother, Hermione and Sona. Remember, some Devils treat their Peerages as a slave stable or a harem, which technically isn't against the law. Your biological father is an infamous example, but he at least tries to care for his Peerage, from what I understand. However, I hear rumours about others."

"Like Diodora Astaroth?" Hermione asked, her face wrinkling in disgust. "I really hope those rumours aren't true."

"What rumours?" Harry asked, wondering if he'd regret asking.

"Diodora Astaroth is known to have a nun fetish. More than that, he's said to actually deliberately manipulate events around nuns who catch his eye, and when they're at their lowest point, or if they die, he makes them into his servants. I don't know for sure, though. Even Sona only hears rumours, and Diodora does keep his Peerage private for the most part," Rias said.

"That's sick," Harry said with a grimace.

"Agreed," Rias nodded. "While I recruited my Peerage when they have been at their lowest ebb, I didn't do so in order to exploit them, merely to give them a place where they belong, where they can have the life that was denied them by birth or circumstance. Serving me is part of it, but I also want them to be happy. I hope that I have succeeded. And in a way, that's also why I agreed to meet with you. I'll admit, a significant part of my trying to get out of this betrothal with Riser is selfish…but after hearing so many stories from Hermione about you, and about how much you try to get some happiness…well, I guess I was suckered in, and in a good way. That's also why I'm allowing Akeno to join in with myself and Hermione. As my Queen, she was the first addition to my Peerage, and one of my oldest true friends aside from Hermione and Sona."

Akeno smiled. "Indeed. In most boys, I see only lust and desire…but I also see acceptance in you, Harry."

"I think I know why," Hermione said. "Harry knows what it's like to be an outcast, with being disowned by his father. In addition, he was adopted by the Tonks, with Andromeda being an outcast from the Black family. I think it's why he was protective towards me, and towards Luna. To him, I was a Muggleborn, vulnerable to the Purebloods, and Luna, well, she's Luna."

Harry had to admit, she had a point, even if he hadn't consciously thought about it like that. That actually explained quite a bit. "Anyway, Akeno, Andromeda raised me better than to view women as just something a pair of breasts are attached to," Harry said. "And when she teaches you a lesson, you try to listen. She may have been disowned, but she's still a Black, and she has her sister's vindictiveness without the crazy. You disrespect women within her earshot, and you learn it's a bad idea. I saw her hex some lout who tried to grope Dora until…well, let's just say he didn't need a bedside lamp for a few weeks, though he wished he didn't, what with the way she Transfigured his…equipment."

Everyone present laughed, and Akeno remarked, "Oh my, sounds like someone I would get along very well with. Do you think she would be willing to teach me some hexes?"

"Depends on whether they're Black family secrets," Harry said with a wry smile. "Then again, considering how her family, including Sirius, treated her…"

She clapped her hands together, the action doing interesting things to her breasts. "Oh, I can hardly wait!"

"One thing you will have to remember, Harry, is that Akeno is a sadist of the highest order, towards her enemies anyway," Rias said, with a fond smile of her own. "I know I told you before, Harry, but it's one of those things worth reiterating."

"As long as it's not directed towards me, I'm fine. Sorry, Akeno, I'm not exactly into BDSM. Well, except some of the costumes."

Akeno's smile became rather disturbing. "I look forward to showing some of them off, Harry…"

 **CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, more interaction between Harry and his potential lovers. Yeah, I know, it feels like filler, and you guys want me to get back to the plot. I intend to for the next chapter, set during and just after the First Task (I dunno when that will be out, though). But I also want to develop Harry's friendship with his harem, and this chapter did sort of write itself, especially the Akeno bits. Like I said, I wanted to make this story about the characters, rather than just the** ** _High School DxD_** **standards of fanservice and sex comedy. I also want to write better than I did for** ** _Fall to Zenith_** **, which was basically a Dumbledore-bashing vehicle for me to pair Harry with Rias.**

 **I actually do think there's some potential for Harry to be paired with Akeno, which means I thought it a bit of a shame that Vimesenthusiast wrote her out of the harem in** ** _FILFy Teacher_** **, though they had logical reasons that I won't actually dispute. Here, I'm de-emphasising her more sadistic tendencies a bit and emphasising her more damaged qualities. Harry would have absolutely no trouble with her being sadistic towards enemies, or at least the worst ones.**

 **Review-answering time!** **jgkitarel** **: I'll write something in later about how he and Beelzebub are collaborating, though Azazel has his duties in the Grigori to handle as well.**

 **diagonalpumpkin** **: Come the Third Task, he's out of there. He's going to Kuoh for the next year, and learning magic privately.**

 **Tenzo51** **: I have my notion that, while magic does ultimately come from the same source, the schools of magic vary differently according to species and types of magic. Potterverse magic, for example, is related to but different from some Devil magic or contract magician magic. And many Devil magics are hereditary in** ** _High School DxD_** **canon.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	19. Chapter 18: The First Awkward Reunion

**CHAPTER 18:**

 **THE FIRST AWKWARD REUNION**

The first real problem occurred on the day of the First Task. There had been another meeting between Zeoticus Gremory and Lord Phenex regarding the contract a few days before, with Grayfia also present. Thankfully, Riser wasn't present, as he was actually at a party, but Ravel was there, partly as Riser's representative, but also because it was thought that she'd need more experience on the politics of the Underworld. After some discreet communication with Sirzechs, Grayfia chose to drop the bombshell: that there was actually a Cambion Phenex who was the youngest male member of the main line, and that Rias had been courting him for the past couple of months. Grayfia also refused to identify who it was, as there was a possibility that Riser may retaliate. The information would be revealed in due time, but the Phenex was the one Rias preferred. And to allay Lord Phenex's fears, Grayfia also stated that the Cambion child had no desire to be the heir to the Phenex family or fortune, and that he was already showing proficiency with Phenex-style fire magic and regeneration.

It took some time for the two lords to calm down, and when they looked at the contract, they had to admit to being outmanoeuvred rather handily. The contract never actually excluded a bastard child of one of the Phenex family, only that it had to be part of the main line rather than a cadet branch. However, they also wished to meet this person before long, and they were admittedly reluctant to allow a Cambion to marry Rias, when she was meant to marry a Pureblood Devil. The only reason they were considering accepting this was the reason the marriage was set up in the first place: to have children who combined the vast magical power of the Gremorys, the Power of Destruction of the Baels, and the pyromancy and regeneration of the Phenexes. If they could manage it with a Cambion, then that was great. The fact that Rias didn't want to act like a breeding sow was irrelevant, as they believed, in their blind folly, that Rias would grow to love Riser.

Ravel was of two minds about the whole thing. On the one hand, she was intensely loyal to her brother, and considered Rias more than a little stuck up, which was the pot calling the kettle black. On the other, it meant that she had family she didn't know about, and she wasn't blind to her brother's faults, though she overlooked them. So, she decided to be sneaky about it. She went to Gringotts privately and got an inheritance test, and discovered, to her shock, that not only was the boy in question her nephew (who was older than she was, given that she was 14), but that he was the older half-brother of Charles Potter.

Unlike Riser, who expressed disdain at best and contempt at worst for human affairs, Ravel, being somewhat more savvy, kept abreast of them. And having discovered the Tri-Wizard Tournament's First Task was on soon, she decided to choose that day to meet her nephew.

Grayfia had warned Harry and Hermione of her decision to tell the two lords about Harry's existence, though not his relationship to Riser nor his identity. Harry was not happy about it, but he coped. Kuroka had already found one of the Horcruxes, in the Room of Requirement: the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, and it was in storage at Gringotts, ready to be purged.

She wasn't the only family member to come seeking a confrontation. James Potter had come to watch the First Task, but he took the time to come to Harry during lunch, and said, "I know you had something to do with Lily's disappearance. One of these days, I'm going to find out what you did, and bring you up before the Wizengamot, and _have you_ _ **Kissed**_. And the old goat won't be able to protect you or that treacherous wolf or that Mudblood."

"I don't need protection, 'Prongs'," Harry sneered back. "And for making a threat like that, you ought to watch your back. I have no issue with Charlie other than he's a bully…but you know what they say about scum rising to the top."

Before Potter could retaliate, McGonagall, thankfully, broke it up, forcing her former student away, though not before he called her a treacherous hag within earshot of everyone. The tension still remained, though, and did right up until the beginning of the First Task…

* * *

Harry took his seat in the stands with Hermione. However, he was surprised when someone else eventually sat next to them, a cute girl a couple of years his junior, with blonde hair, shaped at the sides into drill-like pigtails. She seemed to have an aristocratic air not unlike Daphne, albeit with a somewhat bratty undertone. What's more, she wasn't dressed in Hogwarts robes, instead being dressed in an old-fashioned but rather expensive looking pink dress. And he heard Hermione gasp when she saw the girl.

Harry felt the Privacy Charm go into place, the surrounding noise blocked, and the girl said, in a rather haughty tone, "Oh good, this saves a bit of trouble, Hermione Bael."

Harry's question was answered before he could even voice it. "What the hell are you doing here, Ravel?!" Hermione hissed.

"I have just learned about my nephew and wished to meet him. I haven't told Riser, yet, and I might even delay telling him if I find it's worth my while," Ravel said. "And no, that does not mean that I want monies or favours. I just want to know if he is worthy of the Phenex name."

" _He_ has a name," Harry said, glaring at his aunt.

Ravel returned his glare, before her facial expression softened. In fact, she actually smiled. Not a fake smile, but rather, a genuine one, even a little sheepish. "Sorry. I have been somewhat remiss. I am Ravel Phenex, youngest scion of the Phenex family, and apparently your aunt. My apologies, but I wondered if you were as arrogant as your half-brother is reputed to be."

Her tone was somewhat haughty and arrogant in itself, but Harry sensed no actual malice, just pride in her lineage and herself, so he tried to avoid getting irritated at her tone. "Harry Tonks…well, I guess it's Harry Phenex now. I guess you know Hermione?"

"We have met a few times before," Ravel said. "Suffice to say, we do not get along that well. Generally, Phoenixes and nekomata are known for their rivalry. I don't get along with Ni and Li, for example. Two of my brother's Pawns," she explained for Harry's benefit. "Though I can understand a little why she doesn't like your father. Then again, given her lineage, she is at least freer to choose who she can wed. Rias and myself do not have that luxury. But considering what I have learned about my nephew and Rias wedding, it may be a moot point."

"So you're not against the wedding?" Hermione asked.

"I'll be disappointed that my brother does not wed the girl he had set his sights on, but even so, I know Rias and her Peerage would merely be additions to his harem. Besides, as long as my nephew meets my own standards, I don't care in the end."

"And how, exactly, am I supposed to meet _your_ standards?" Harry asked acidly. "Given that your brother, my biological father, turned his Peerage into a harem, one which has you in it, how high are those standards? I mean, do you care that Rias would potentially be turned into your brother's sex toy, along with her Peerage? Your father and Lord Gremory clearly don't. Then again, as long as they get grandchildren with the powers they want, who cares about Rias' feelings? I'd imagine that they'd even want to wed you to Sirzechs and Grafyia's kid, Milicas, just to make sure, and regardless of your feelings or Milicas'. That sort of thinking disgusts me. They say Devils feel the mortal sins more intensely, and what I'm feeling right now is some good old-fashioned _wrath_. So regardless of whether I meet your standards or not, Rias seems to prefer me to my sperm donor. And frankly, I'm not sure you're meeting MY standards, Auntie Ravel."

Ravel recoiled, and Hermione put a hand on his arm. "Easy there," she said quietly. "Pissing off a Pureblood Devil might not go down well, deserved or not." She shot Ravel a pointed look.

Ravel, a little shaken after Harry's diatribe, eventually said, "Well, with this visit, I will be satisfied with knowing how well you have mastered our pyromancy and regenerative abilities, and not through second-hand assurances from your Bael friend. Your character I will have to see for myself." Then, after a moment, she snapped, a little harshly, "And don't call me Auntie! Just call me Ravel."

"Okay…Auntie Ravel," Harry snarked. Ravel growled a little.

* * *

They watched the ensuing Tasks together, Ravel offering commentary. She offered an interesting insight when Fleur entered the arena: there were some schools of thought that believed Veela to be descended from either the Phoenix familiars of the Phenex family, or else from a corrupted cadet line of the same. Other times, it was snark, partly at the Champions and partly at the audience. Harry reckoned she had a point with the latter: the whole thing had the air of the Colosseum at Rome, and the gladiator games fought within.

Harry had to admit, Cedric and Fleur did good jobs. Viktor Krum, not so much: Harry shared Ddraig's anger when a Conjunctivitis spell was used against the dragon, and the nesting mother, in her agony, trampled a number of her own eggs. But then came Charlie's turn, against a Hungarian Horntail. And he cast a summoning charm, summoning his broom.

Harry had to admit, he was a little impressed. Charlie played to his strengths, and while not as good a Quidditch player as Harry, he was still a damned good broom flyer, Harry knew. Charlie was more of a Chaser than he was a Seeker, but he still did well in Quidditch, and he was doing very well here. But he managed to get the Golden Egg that the Champions were meant to fetch, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Charlie got injured a little, but not much. As much as he despised his half-brother at times, it was not to the point of wanting to see him dead.

Once the Task was over, Harry, Hermione and Ravel swiftly headed up to Hogwarts Castle, intending to use the Room of Requirement. Once they got there, Ravel looked around the room with curiosity and some disdain. "How quaint," she muttered. "Now…I want to test how good you are with your pyrokinesis and regeneration."

"And how are you going to do that?" Harry asked coldly. "By chopping off my arm?"

"Well, actually, I was going to…" Suddenly, her eyes bugged out when Harry, with a grimace, blew a hole right through his hand with a Cutting Curse. Almost instantly, the hand burst into flames and was healed. "…Oh. Did you _have_ to do it that way?"

"Well, what was your idea?" Hermione asked.

"Make a small cut somewhere!" Ravel protested, having gotten over her initial shock. "Just enough to trigger the regeneration! Are you insane?!"

"No, I'm just tired of having to prove myself," Harry said, before conjuring up a fireball in his hand. And not just any fire, but fire that bordered on being Fiendfyre. " _Very_ tired. So, have I proven myself to your liking?"

Ravel gaped, before she nodded. "In terms of ability, you are very promising. Look, we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry you had to prove yourself to me. And you probably will have to do so to my brother."

"The only person I should have to prove myself to is Rias." However, when he saw the remorse on her face, the flinching back from his anger, he dispelled the fireball, and approached his aunt. She was only a teenager, after all, a few years younger than him. And unlike Charlie, it was more her attitude than any real rancour that got him annoyed. He realised he was so tired as well of feeling anger and hatred, especially towards someone he'd only just met. Ravel didn't deserve the ire he felt towards Charlie, or either of his fathers, for that matter. She had different values to him, if only because of her upbringing. There was no real malice, just curiosity and a strange kind of concern.

So he approached her, and then hugged her, eliciting a brief, embarrassed gasp from her. And the tension in the room began to lower, like air let out gradually from a balloon, only without the accompanying flatulent noise. "Sorry, it's just…family is touchy subject for me, even before I found out I was a Phenex. I was disowned by the man I thought was my father, and I found out that my real father had a one-night stand with my mother. That he has his Peerage as his personal harem. Please tell me he doesn't have you in there for that sort of thing."

"No! No, I'm there to be his Bishop, to help with his strategies in Rating Games," Ravel said vehemently. Then, she admitted a little sheepishly, "He also needed…I believe Rias would call it a _tsundere_ for his Peerage, but nothing more than that. Look…I'm not here to pick a fight, even if it seemed like it. I'm just…I just wanted to meet you, see if you really were one of us. You're family. I don't care if you're half human. What I do care about is that you probably don't know enough about the family you are part of."

"…I'm not interested in family history," Harry said. "But…I'd be interested in getting to know you. Though it's going to be weird thinking of you as an aunt. Little sister, maybe?"

She chuckled. "Actually, I can live with that. It's strange being an aunt when you're younger than your nephew. But…you really do intend to fight for Rias?"

"Yes. She's worth fighting for. Not because she's a prize to be won, but because she deserves her happiness, and I think she'd be happy with me. So does she."

Ravel looked at Harry with her sapphire blue eyes, and then at Hermione, before she broke away from the embrace. "I'm guessing, given that we're only just now hearing about this, that you've only just recently learned about your nature as a Devil. Which means you probably don't have much in the way of a full Peerage yet. You'd better make haste, then. I won't tell Riser, to give you a chance, but I doubt that my father will keep things quiet for long. My brother may have a big libido, but he isn't a fool either, and I'm sure he'd devote his time and energies to finding out who Rias' new fiancée is. I don't know how he'll react to having a son, and a Cambion at that, but he's had his eyes on Rias for a long time, and a fight is inevitable."

"A Rating Game?" Harry asked.

"Maybe. But there are other ways for Devils to settle disputes," Ravel said. Then, a smile touched her lips. "You know, it's funny, actually. When I was younger, our butler used to tell me stories of heroes, and I used to have a dream of being the woman behind the man, the woman who would support the hero on his journey. I'd actually forgotten about that until you said that the only person you had to prove yourself to was Rias."

"…Please don't tell me you're going to be like Ginny Weasley," Harry said flatly. On Ravel's confused look, he said, "She grew up on tales of the Boy Who Lived, wanting to marry him. It's only gotten worse since my brother saved her life after she was possessed by a Horcrux. She's got a really bad case of 'knight in shining armour' syndrome."

Ravel shook her head. "No, no…I mean, I wouldn't mind that to happen, but I need to be as strong as I can to support the hero I want to be with. I'm no damsel, nor do I want to be. My pride as a Phenex would never countenance it."

"Then that's good. And there's nothing to say a strong woman can't be a hero either. Hermione and Rias are strong too. And we'll get stronger together."

"Really? Because if she is getting you to fight her battles…"

"I am fighting her battles because it is the right thing to do. She would fight your brother herself in a shot if she needed to, and you know that."

Ravel sighed quietly. "Yes, you're right. Rias may be inexperienced, and her power is yet to grow…but she's not the sort to let others fight battles out of cowardice or weakness. Besides, I can tell she and Hermione are getting stronger training together. Even if they didn't find you, Rias might have been able to give my brother a bit of a challenge. But keep in mind, while most people view my brother's Peerage as his personal harem, each and every one of them are powerful fighters. I should know, I've fought alongside them."

"It doesn't matter. Like I said, she's worth fighting for. Any good friend is…"

 **CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Harry's met his Auntie Ravel. And it hasn't turned into a complete disaster.**

 **Now, if Ravel seems OOC here, leaving aside the issues of this being a fanfic, I'd like to explain why I characterised Ravel the way I did here. I admittedly don't have that much familiarity with her character, and I got the impression of a haughty** ** _tsundere_** **with a heart of gold. However, for the sake of this story, I also wanted to show another side to her. She's actually genuinely curious about her nephew, as well as concerned as to whether he'd bring her family into disrepute by being weak or unworthy of the Phenex name. She's not being a bad guy here, but her attitude didn't help. When Harry, understandably, ranted, she realised she might have had the wrong idea about how to approach it.**

 **Harry is at fault here too, though admittedly, he was somewhat prejudiced against the Phenexes thanks to what Rias and Hermione told him. Plus, he's wary, given his experiences with James Potter and Charlie. But when he finally realises that Ravel actually wants to get to know him as a proper family member, that's when he starts to try and make up. Harry and Ravel will actually be on fairly good terms down the track, despite the rocky beginning. Their values are different due to different upbringings. What's more, Ravel has seen a more human side to her brother, so to speak, and Harry hasn't.**

 **I included that bit about Ravel being told stories about heroes because I saw that on her entry on the Wikipedia page for the characters of** ** _High School DxD_** **. I thought it was a nice bit to add. This story, as I have stated before, is about developing the characters of** ** _High School DxD_** **. Admittedly at the expense of the Potterverse (that's why I glossed over the First Task, as well as the first actual appearance of James Potter in this story), but hey. This is a story with the Potterverse and its problems as a backdrop.**

 **Also, while his reunion with Daddy Dearest isn't going to go anywhere near as smoothly as his meeting with his aunt, I think some of you will be pleasantly surprised with how I intend to handle it.**

 **This will be the last chapter for a while. Then again, you guys just got four chapters all at once.**

 **Review-answering time! Thanks for your support of the 'filler' chapters. Trying to justify polyamorous relationships is harder than it seems, especially when you're doing a more serious work.** ** _High School DxD_** **does have one thing going for it where that is concerned, in that the Devils allow for polyamory, so an in-story justification is there.**

 **Leicontis** **: As satisfying as feeding him through a woodchipper would be, it'd be over too soon for that smug fuck. Just saying. Actually, that reminded me of the similar ends of a couple of villains: Dario from** ** _License to Kill_** **, and Harrison Chase from the** ** _Doctor Who_** **story** ** _The Seeds of Doom_** **.**

 **I've answered** **Tenzo51** **'s review in correspondence, but I did point out that Rias and Harry in** ** _Fall to Zenith_** **actually recreated, using magic, the signature moves of two final bosses from the** ** _Final Fantasy_** **series, namely the Big Bang of Zeromus, and the Forsaken of Kefka.**

 **Death Lantern** **: Maybe you feel that way, but I actually find it easier to bash James than Lily. James has some very real in-canon flaws that can be exploited and exaggerated, and surprisingly not by much. He was, bluntly, a bully. If you want to see stories where Lily is bashed, there are literally hundreds if not thousands of WBWL fics where this happens. And if you don't like it, then feel free to stop reading.**

 **diagonalpumpkin** **: Oh, James will get his, don't worry…though I'm wondering, should I out Harry's status as a Devil, and have James use that to try and get revenge, courtesy of a certain deranged Stray Exorcist?**

 **Guest** **: I honestly don't know who Kiba was canonically associated with, but given that he's known Hermione and her Peerage for some time, well, butterflies, right? As for Akeno, I think she and Harry will be able to compromise, even if he isn't into BDSM. I think they truly appeal to each other because they are damaged souls, and Harry accepts her for who she is. For her, Akeno's BDSM thing is more of a hobby than a way of life…and she expresses it against her enemies in combat anyway.**

 **TheRazgrizDragon** **: 1. Not at all. 2. I don't think I'm going to. 3. Nope. 4. I never even thought of that. I was going to go with Remus/Lily, actually.**

 **Lewis Puller** **: I agree wholeheartedly.** ** _High School DxD_** **is oversaturated with fanservice, sadly, given some of the concepts involved. That, plus Issei is a pretty repulsive protagonist until he tones down his perversion. I try to treat the series as seriously as I can in my fanfics here, and I will continue to do so.**

 **As for developing Raynare…I actually get where you're going with your complaint about her in other fics. I didn't actually think of her as an exhausted and weary veteran (though that actually makes a scary amount of sense, in hindsight), more that she's absolutely cynical, and particularly bitter about the fact that Azazel will never reciprocate her love. And putting her into the Peerage…is not something I have considered…yet. But, I will admit, this is actually a good idea, and I may just use it further down the track.**

 **And to be honest, I didn't quite write her as wanting peace per se. It's more that she believes that, as much as it's a nice thing to have, she doesn't think it's possible, and frankly, she actually does want to go to war again (I view her as being someone Kokabiel seduced with his ideology in canon, and making her believe what she is doing is what Azazel truly wants). But through her interactions with Harry, she's being humanised.**

 **Huh…suddenly, I have this weird and oddly apposite pairing of Raynare and Snape.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	20. Chapter 19: Christmas

**CHAPTER 19:**

 **CHRISTMAS**

The next month leading up to the Yule Ball was an interesting one, albeit a somewhat fraught one. With the cat out of the bag, Riser was now trying to find out more about his mysterious rival. Ravel, thankfully, kept silent, and Zeoticus Gremory had shielded Rias from her erstwhile suitor, actually acting like a protective father for once.

Ravel actually came to visit whenever she could, curious about her nephew. Harry found himself warming to the young Phenex girl, once the initial awkwardness was out of the way, and she was actually a good source of information on the Phenex family and its legacy. And it seemed his young aunt relished the challenge of teaching him. Personally, Harry cared little about some elements of Phenex family history, but he still needed to learn something about it.

Of course, of greater concern was James Potter. Charlie was currently trying to work out the clue that resided within the golden egg he had to retrieve. But James Potter was apparently stirring up trouble in the Wizengamot, and while many were getting sick and tired of him throwing his weight around, he still had enough influence to be of concern. Dumbledore confided in Harry that James Potter was increasingly convinced that Harry had a hand in what happened to Lily. James didn't care that Harry would never try to hurt Lily, instead probably wishing to revive her…but instead, he had this bizarre notion that Harry was trying to rob James of Lily. The fact that she was declared dead on the Goblins' paperwork meant little to James: somehow, it had to be Harry's fault as the bastard child.

Ironically enough, Sirius Black was trying, and failing, to be the voice of reason. While Black's antipathy towards the Tonks family was still there, he also knew, like any decent Slytherin, when not to make such outrageous accusations. He did this not out of any good will towards Harry, but simple pragmatism: accusing Harry Tonks of something so blatantly untrue as murdering his mother was stupid, and sure to burn political capital in the process. James Potter had alienated a number of allies within the Wizengamot already in his bigotry towards anything he saw as dark, and only money and influence kept other allies on side, including a number of substantial…donations to Minister Fudge.

Unlike Sirius, however, James Potter never quite grew out of his adolescent fantasies of invincibility, Dumbledore told Harry. Surviving Voldemort, not to mention political shitstorms, had instilled in James Potter the notion that he was both literally and figuratively invincible, to say nothing of being infallible. Any failures were down to other people rather than any deficiencies on James' part. Harry knew that, soon, he would have to disabuse James Potter of that notion. It would be risky, as it might mean exposing his Devil heritage. But he would be damned before he let James Potter dictate anything.

The trips to the Underworld or Kuoh were becoming a more and more welcome escape from the hurly burly at Hogwarts. The tedium of the classes, the constant gossip about the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Rita Skeeter sniffing around, and the waxing and waning tension between Harry and his half-brother. By comparison, heading to the Underworld or Kuoh to speak with his fellow Devils just felt…well, _normal_ , like his life should be. Or at least as normal as you can get under the circumstances, but Rias, Hermione, and their respective Peerages, while eclectic and not what you could call normal, were also people. They felt more like people than most wizards and witches Harry knew, especially the Purebloods, who felt more like one-dimensional cardboard cutouts written by a hack writer, basing their work on a superior work.

In hindsight, maybe this was why he was so accepting, almost apathetically so, of his heritage. He'd been yearning to know where he came from, that he had a place to belong, one free from being seen as the brother of the Boy Who Lived that, well, he couldn't feel any joy for it…just a kind of acceptance, like he always knew this was the case, just never consciously. Either that, or the infodump Hermione and Rias hit him with pretty much numbed him to anything else.

Still, the Yule Ball was almost upon them. And Rias would be making her public debut as Harry's fiancé. Not that she was going to tell the wizards this. Hermione had already spread a story around that a cousin of hers had wanted to attend the Yule Ball (a witch of a very old, if somewhat reclusive, line), and had begged to go with Harry. Rias would be using a different last name. She was tempted to use 'Joestar' on an impish whim, but opted for her usual alias when dealing with wizards who may have read the _Ars Goetia_ : Regan, which meant 'child of the king'. While Sirzechs, a Devil King, was technically her brother, it was still apt. Besides, her father was still a high-ranking Devil.

The buzz around 'Rias Regan' was palpable, but at least Hermione was the one controlling the information. Unfortunately, some of the Purebloods disdained this interloper. If she was part of such an old magical line, then why the hell didn't she go to Hogwarts? And the fact that Hermione would be taking Blaise to the Yule Ball caused considerable division in Slytherin. Then again, amongst the Slytherins who weren't diehard Blood Purists, Hermione was viewed with reluctant admiration and was considered to be one of the few Gryffindors worthy of any real respect.

Prior to the Yule Ball, Harry encountered Raynare one more time in Hogsmeade, and finally met her associates (aside from the petite Mittelt, whom he'd already met). He didn't like the rather contemptuous feeling he got from either Kalawarner, a buxom Fallen who wore a revealing coat over her dress, or Dohnaseek, a trenchcoat and fedora-wearing Fallen, and the sole male Fallen in the cell. Indeed, Dohnaseek's expression reeked of the barely-contained malice and arrogance of James Potter. Mittelt was more bratty than contemptuous, and he had the feeling Raynare was warming to him more and more.

Once Christmas had come around, Harry was pleased to find a whole bunch of presents, including from Rias and her Peerage. He was glad he'd actually went to the trouble of asking Hermione for gift suggestions. Rias was fairly easy, surprisingly, with Hermione ordering, on his behalf, a Gundam figurine, and Shirone was very easy, with Harry ordering a box of her favourite sweets. The others were a bit harder to order for, and if it weren't for Hermione's help, he would have been stuck. Even Ravel got something from him, a set of ribbons for her hair, made from Acromantula silk.

He had to admit, the gifts he got were all great. Ravel got him a number of books, on the history of the Phenex family, Devil etiquette, as well as rules and strategies in Rating Games. He was worried that Akeno might try to send something sexual, even BDSM-related, but she just sent him some enchanted trinkets that helped protect people from malign magic…as well as a quill made from a feather from the Fallen Angel wing of hers. A rather personal gift, he felt. She wouldn't do such a thing for just anyone. The other members of Rias' Peerage sent him various gifts, but it was Rias' gift that struck Harry the most.

It was a ring. A simple gold ring, with no jewels adorning it. But he knew what it meant almost as soon as he opened the small box, before he read the note crumpled up with it.

Rias had had it specially commissioned, and had more made for Hermione and Akeno. Although it looked to be plain gold, it was layered with a number of enchantments. While Harry and Rias would be the ones officially getting married, she also wanted to show some solidarity with Hermione and Akeno.

It was not an engagement ring or a wedding ring, but something far deeper. Over the past few months, since he first met Rias, they had a quick friendship, albeit one based on Rias needing Harry to get out of a wedding to his biological father. But he didn't blame her. In truth, her coming to him gave him a purpose to his life that had been sorely lacking, one spent in the shadow of his younger brother. Like Hermione said, he had a desire to help others. His brother may be the hero, the famous one, but Harry worked in Charles' shadow. He tried to help others, even when his brother held all the glory, and tried to steal what goodwill Harry had scraped together, sowing suspicion, thanks to James Potter and Sirius Black's influence.

Perhaps that was why Harry agreed so readily. One of the biggest clichés in fairytales was to have an errant knight win the hand of a princess at the end of the story. Life didn't actually work like that. But maybe, just maybe, his life would be like that.

Rias' gift, then, left him moved. More than ever, he looked forward to tonight's events. He hoped that they would be an indelible memory, and a good one at that, a memory worthy of a Patronus.

* * *

In the atrium to the Great Hall, it was all Harry could do not to pace nervously. While not a Champion, he was still having attention brought onto him. People were curious to see the girl whom he was going with, after all, even if it was, according to Hermione, a favour for her.

And then, when Rias finally entered, all attention was brought to her. The unnatural beauty many Devils had assured it. She was followed by Akeno, Kiba, and Shirone. Akeno was apparently with Kiba for the date, while Shirone was directed to Colin Creevey. Apparently it was a favour Hermione was doing for Colin. For all that he was a fanboy of Charlie, he didn't have a date to go to the Yule Ball, and he wasn't bad, just irritating.

Harry could hear the whispers starting now that Rias was linking her arm through his own. Even with Hermione already stating that Harry was having Rias as a date to the Yule Ball as a favour to Rias, given Rias' beauty compared to Hermione (at least when Hermione had her glamour on) certainly had people wondering whether Harry would cheat on Hermione. However, Charlie was looking at Rias rather jealously and with lust in his eyes, and Ginny was just plain glaring.

Harry just shot a glare back, as did Rias. Their evening would not be spoiled by the so-called Boy Who Lived. They wanted to enjoy themselves.

They soon were allowed to enter. Harry noted that Barty Crouch Senior was conspicuous by his absence, and his replacement was not much better, that pompous arse Percy. Well, to be fair to the officious sod, Percy had taken Harry under his wing and helped show him the ropes in Gryffindor. He was not awestruck at Harry being the brother to the Boy Who Lived, and while a sycophant to those in authority and a stickler for the rules, Percy had helped him out on more than on occasion.

The fact that Percy had given Charlie a number of detentions helped matters. Harry had many virtues, but he also had a number of faults, and a petty streak was one of them. Then again, he didn't know whether that was a human foible, or something from his Devil heritage.

Interestingly, Rias and Fleur Delacour made conversation at the dinner table, though Harry didn't follow the French. He knew that Devils could speak in other languages, but apparently either it wasn't an innate gift, or else being a Cambion, he didn't have it. However, the two were getting along very well.

Soon, after dinner was eaten, the dancing began. Harry almost wished out of spite that Charlie would have two left feet, dance badly, but alas, it was not to be. Then again, he'd been to other formal functions, so he probably had some small modicum of dancing ability.

However, he and Rias soon followed them onto the dance floor. Trying to remember the hasty lessons he had been given, he and Rias managed to dance fairly well. Then again, he was following her lead, and she had had such lessons herself as part of her training. There was something of a temptation to let his hand slip to her derriere and give it a gentle squeeze, but he stifled that temptation. It would be a disservice to Rias, because as desirable as she was, she was a person, not a sex object.

There was more to Rias' beauty than merely her figure. Her intelligence added to it, but Hermione had her beaten in that regard. It was her character, though, that cinched it. Despite being a Devil, a living embodiment of sin, she had a virtuous heart. It wasn't pure by any means: she could be self-centred in her own way, and she had some faults. But those at least made her seem more like a person than just a mere paragon of beauty.

However, the evening began to drag on, and the people were beginning to get to Harry, especially as Charlie and Ginny 'accidentally' bumped into them one too many times. But they had made arrangements beforehand, and on a pre-arranged signal, Harry, Hermione, Rias, and the respective members of their Peerages (including Shirone, as Colin had left early, as had Daphne's date), left the Great Hall. They then made their way to the Room of Requirement, to have their own private function…

* * *

"I must confess, I'm actually glad to be out of there," Akeno said. "I could feel a lot of people undressing me with their eyes, and while I usually like it, I know at least two people tried to grope me, even with Kiba being a wonderful dance partner."

"I got groped myself," Kiba confessed, grimacing. "Even the girls at Kuoh Academy don't go that far…well, for the most part. Having a fanclub is one thing, as long as they don't cross the line, but…"

"Thankfully, I didn't," Rias said. "Anyone else suffer unwanted attentions?"

The others shook their heads. "Creevy was mostly a gentleman, even if he wouldn't be quiet about the Boy Who Lived," Shirone said.

"The rumour mill's going to be working overtime, though," Blaise pointed out. "Harry being with Rias instead of Hermione, despite Hermione laying the groundwork…"

"We'll burn that bridge when we come to it," Rias said. "I'm sorry if this makes things worse for you, Hermione."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm used to it. They scorn me for being a Muggleborn, or at least because of the cover story. I'm sure if they knew my true heritage, to say nothing of yours or Harry's, it'd be worse. Dumbledore and Snape may be open-minded when it comes to Devils, but few other wizards would be. If anyone tries anything major, I'll just hint that we're actually considering sharing him by mutual consent. Not that it should come to that. But…I am giving serious thought to leaving Hogwarts and joining you in Japan, Rias, if Harry would do so as well."

Harry frowned. "…Can we? Should we?"

"We can teach you magic far beyond anything Hogwarts can teach you," Rias said. "I understand if you want to stay, but…"

"…I'll consider it. Most of my friends are in Hermione's Peerage anyway. I don't really have many others," Harry said. "As long as my family can come with me, anyway."

"Of course. Harry, I won't make you choose between us and your family. I presume you mean the Tonks family, right?" He nodded. "Then that shouldn't be a problem. In truth, Japan is somewhat more tolerant of supernatural beings than Britain. Admittedly, that is because the youkai have a large presence there, and as many of the youkai are powerful both magically and politically…well, we Devils are tolerated by the magical authorities in Japan, as long as we don't cause too much trouble."

Harry considered this. Hogwarts was all he ever knew as far as magical schooling was concerned. He'd been to a Muggle school before then. But then again, as he himself pointed out, most of his friends were in Hermione's Peerage, and the Weasley Twins were considering joining his own. He wanted to live somewhere from outside his brother's shadow.

A new life…away from all this. If he accepted…then maybe this would be the best Christmas gift he had had for a long time. Because he felt adrift, finding some place to belong. Maybe moving away from Britain would be what he needed. Once Voldemort was dealt with…well, he wanted to live his own life, away from all this. All the drama that came from being the black sheep of the family. Okay, there was the whole saga of his biological father, but he could deal with that when the time came.

Right?

"And did you like my present?" Rias asked.

"Yes. Thank you very much, Rias. When should we start wearing them?"

"…We'll do so come the New Year. How about that? A new year, a new start. How does that sound? We'll make a little ceremony of it."

"That'd be great…"

 **CHAPTER 19 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Okay, so it's been a while. Inspiration was somewhat lacking. Sorry. I actually nearly did this chapter for Christmas (set during the Yule Ball, it would've been apt), but inspiration ran dry. Part of it was trying to figure out what presents would be exchanged. I eventually decided to go for Rias giving Harry a ring, one that would bond them when they finally got together in earnest.**

 **Anyway, this will be the calm before the storm. Something will happen that will have Riser finally learning who is cockblocking him.**

 **EDIT: BTW, a few reviewers were wondering about my snarky remarks about hack writers. It was a dig at fanfic writers in general, but myself in particular, and not a comment on JK Rowling. The one-dimensional characters remark was meant to be a dig at how I usually characterise James Potter in my WBWL fics.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


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